Dreams Never Die
by yulie1022
Summary: Chelsea, rookie trainer. Lydia, rookie coodinator. Isaac, wants a new skateboard. Chelsea is from Oldale, and to start off her journey, Chelsea is given a vulpix. But mystery hangs over the vulpix and her origins...
1. Well, They aren't Torchics

The sun had barely risen, the grass along the path was still covered in dew. A young girl, just turned twelve, was walking along the path. Her thick, dark brown hair was tied in a pony tail. She wore blue jeans and a red spaghetti-strap shirt, with a yellow star in the middle. She looked at the creature walking beside her, it turn to her and smiled. She grinned and returned her eyes to the road. She remember what happened early that morning.

"Chels!"

Chelsea came running downstairs.

"SHHH!" Chelsea said holding a finger to her lips, "Your gonna wake mom up!" She countiued hissed at her older sister. She looked at the mirror on the wall and frowned. Her hair was in a mess, some strands of it were sticking out at odd angles. She looked at the pouch in her hand. She opened it and began to look for a brush.

"Chels, your going to start your journey today right?"

Chelsea found the brush and began to tame her hair. She looked at her sister through the mirror.

"Yeah, so what." She said, putting up her hair in a neat ponytail.

"Well… I know your going to get your first pokemon today."

Chelsea eyed her older sister. _She_ had begun her journey three years ago when _she_ had turned ten. That was before they had moved. When _she_ was ten they still lived in the Kanto region. The starter pokemon in that region were charmander, squirlte, and bulbasaur. They were all nice pokemon, but _she_ had picked charmander. And over the span of three years, she had traveled the Kanto, Johto, and Hoen region. And in each region, she some how managed to collect _all_ of the starter pokemon, and become part of the Hall of Fame for _each_ region. And now _she_ would surly do the same thing in Sinnoh. But _now_ it was Chelsea's turn, _her_ turn to begin her journey.

"Yeah, I was thinking of getting a torchic." Chelsea responded. "Unless you suggest anything else Yulie?"

Yulie grinned at her younger sister's sassiness. "Remember that little trip to the Sinnoh Region I took?"

"Yeah, but you came back only after a month."

"Well, before I left I was able to 'pick up' four pokemon."

Chelsea rolled her eyes, of course three of those four pokemon would be the starters for that region. But what could the fourth one be?

"And?"

"Well, I know they aren't torchic's but…" Yulie reached for four poke balls around her waist. She place two in each hand between her fingers. Just before she was going to release them, she grinned again.

"Maybe we should step outside? These are sorta young pokemon, and might not do so well inside."

Chelsea sighed, she picked up her bag and followed her outside. It was mildly chilly out side, and it was dark. It took Chelsea's eyes time to adjust to the darkness.

Yulie winked and cried. "Go Pokeballs!" She threw them in to the air, each letting a red silhouette land on the ground.

Four pokemon landed in front of Chelsea. The first pokemon was turtle-like, with two leaves on it's head and a brown shell. Chelsea smiled, it was a successful combination of a squirtle and bulbasaur, she believed. Because of it's green complexion, and the two leaves on it's head, she guessed it was a grass type.

The second one was clearly a fire type, it had a flame for a tail. It had a swirl on it's chest, and had orangey brown fur. The monkey pokemon was very feisty, judging by the way it was playing around the third pokemon.

The third pokemon was a bit like torchic, but it was blue and had white patches around it's eyes. She liked this pokemon. She new if she ever went to the Sinnoh region she would surly get it. If Chelsea's hunch was right, she suspected it to be a water type. Though, right now it using peck on the fire-type because it had pulled it's tail playfully. And maybe a little too hard.

"Piplup! Stop it!" Yulie cried as she realized they were no longer playing. "Chimchar was only being a little frisky!"

But before anything was solved, Chimchar backed into the grass type, catching him on fire.

"Oh no, Turtwig!" Yulie cried as she saw chimchar catch it on fire. Turtwig ran around crying. Chelsea couldn't help but smirk, it was too funny not to. She looked over to the fourth pokemon that was sniggering at the hysteria.

Chelsea knew this was the pokemon she wanted. It was a reddish-brown color, with a big tail, and a tuft of curled fur on it's head. She walked over to it. It stopped sniggering. It looked at her with curiosity. Chelsea decided she wanted to pet it. As soon as she place her hand on it's head, she felt heat fly up her arm.

"Ow!" She cried and sucked on her fingers. She heard a chuckle from behind her. She turned around to see her sister laughing at her. She had solved the problem by returning the pokemon to their poke balls. Chimchar was on her shoulders. She always favored the fire type starters, but she had a soft spot for water types too. Chelsea glared at Yulie.

"That's vulpix, it's a fire type."

"I knew that!" Chelsea snapped back. "But isn't it suppose to be a Kanto pokemon?"

"Chelsea, pokemon live in different regions, just like people do." Yulie bent down and picked up the vulpix. "Actually, _this_ little girl was abandoned at a pokemon center." Yulie petted the vulpix in her arms. "Nurse Joy said that it was pretty beat up when she found it."

"Let me hold her!" Chelsea said holding out her hands. Yulie placed the vulpix in her arms. Chelsea smiled as it curled up, and lay against her chest. Vulpix looked at the hand it had earlier burn and began to lick it.

"Well look at that! Looks like she warming up to you already!" Yulie said smiling." Chimchar chattered in agreement.

Chelsea closed her eyes and smiled, she lightly squeezed vulpix.

"This is the one I want!"

Yulie smiled,

"Vulpix, it's not a starter pokemon, but I had a feeling you two would get along." She sighed and smiled at Chimchar, "Looks like I get to keep you!"

Chimchar returned the smile.

Yulie began to walk off, then she turned around and jogged back.

"I forgot to give you some stuff." Yulie handed her a small plastic bag. "That should be enough to get you to Petalburg City. Your meeting Lydia there right?"

Chelsea shifted vulpix to the one arm, in order to grab the bag.

"I'm meeting her at the pokemon center _here_ in Oldale town."

"Oh, well don't forget to go to Littleroot town and see Prof. Birch real quick." Yulie reached in to her pocket and took out two poke balls. She handed one to Chelsea.

"That's vulpix's pokeball." Yulie said, "Bye-bye vulpix." She said patting her head. She threw the second poke ball in the air.

"Pigdeot!" The pokemon squawked. Yulie got on it's back.

"Good luck!" She yelled, and pigdeot took off into the dawning sky.

Chelsea hugged vulpix and then set it down on the road. Vulpix's burgundy eyes had a luminous glow in the dark. Chelsea looked through the plastic bag and saw a few items she thanked Yulie silently for buying her.

But the thing she was most grateful for was the map.

She loaded the stuff in her pouch and then clicked it onto her waist. She stuck the poke ball onto a clip she had hanging from her pant. She tried to study the map, but it proved difficult to do with out any light. She folded up the map and tucked it in her pocket.

She turned to vulpix with both hands on her hips.

"Do you want to walk, or you want to go inside your poke ball?"

Vulpix mewed and trotted along the road in front of Chelsea.

"I take it you want to walk." She said following Vulpix. She noticed signs of wounds healing on vulpix's back legs. They were light and didn't seem to affect vulpix now, so Chelsea decided to wait until they were at the Pokemon Center. She would ask Nurse Joy to do a quick check up.

The sun had now risen, and Chelsea was walking along the path. Her thick, dark brown hair was tied in a pony tail. She wore blue jeans and a red spaghetti-strap shirt with a yellow star in the middle. She looked at the vulpix trotting beside her, it turn to her and smiled. Chelsea grinned and returned her eyes to the road. She saw, at last, the pokemon center. And sitting on the bench was another girl, with another pokemon on her shoulder.

* * *

... So what yous ppl thinks? This was my first pokemon fanfic. This story is based off my little sisters "adventures" when she runs around the house playing pokemon. I will change from her story line a few times though.

Thanks for reading!

(hint! hint! this author loves reiews, and feedback!)

yulie1022

: P


	2. Lydia Crystal and a Bubbly Joy

Chelsea's eyes lit up when she saw her. She ran the rest of the way to the Pokemon Center. Vulpix was taken by surprise at her trainer's sudden change in speed, and quickly fell behind.

"Chelsea!"

The girl had waist long, caramel colored hair, big mocha eyes with a hint of green mint in them. Though she was only twelve, you could tell she would grow up to be a beauty. She had a light green, knee length skirt, with a pokeball attached to her waist. She had a white shirt, light green outlining the opening of the neck and arm holes, and in the middle of the shirt was a red and white classic poke ball. She had a red back pack, with a white poke ball symbol on it. It was the kind of pack that had strings for straps, and you had the pull the strings to close the top.

The girl stood up and hugged Chelsea. The bird pokemon on her shoulders landed on Chelsea's head.

Vulpix slowly approached the gleeful girls. She glared at the bird being friendly with her trainer.

"Hi Lydia!" Chelsea said hugging her. When they separated Chelsea plucked the bird pokemon off her head and cuddled it against her cheek.

"And hello to you too swablu."

Vulpix stood behind Chelsea and growled. Before Chelsea could turn around Lydia bent down next to Vulpix.

"And who are you, little guy?"

Chelsea and Lydia had been friends since she had moved to Oldale town about two years ago. In those two years they had become best friends, and Lydia had waited a whole two months for Chelsea to turn twelve so they could travel together. But that didn't stop her from getting her first pokemon. Her family owns a bird farm. A farm that specifies in raising, breeding and taking care of bird pokemon. And Lydia had chosen her favorite bird pokemon to start of her journey.

"This is Vulpix." Chelsea said scooping her up in one arm. "She's my pokemon. Vulpix, this is Lydia and her swablu." Chelsea said as swablu flew back onto Lydia's shoulders.

"Well, hello vulpix, glad to make you acquaintance." Lydia said formally, but broke into giggles. "Weren't you going to get a pokemon from Professor Birch though?" Lydia said as an after thought.

"I was going to, but Yulie came by and gave me this vulpix." Chelsea said.

"Well, this is the cutest vulpix ever!" Lydia said, beaming friendly at vulpix

Chelsea nodded in agreement then remembered vulpix's legs.

"Oh, I need Nurse Joy to check up on something." She squeezed vulpix lightly. Then walked into the pokemon center. At the counter was a bubbly pink haired young nurse Joy. The _only _one Chelsea and Lydia had ever met.

"Why, hello Chelsea!" She said in a voice a little too perky for this early in the morning.

"Hey, Joy!" Chelsea waved. Lydia smiled.

Joy said clasping her own cheeks with her hands.

"Oh my god! Today the day you guys leave for your journey, isn't it!?"

Then she dropped her hands to her hips and did a slight pout with her lips.

"I only work here for a few months, and just as soon as I'm settled you gals have to leave me-" Joy spotted the vulpix in Chelsea's arms.

"Oh my! What a darling vulpix!" Joy moved around the desk and toward the girls. She said "Oops" as she knocked over a few papers. She picked them up quickly and then walked over to Chelsea.

"Is this your pokemon? Absolutely adorable!"

Chelsea grinned. She liked Nurse Joy, even though she was fresh out of school, and a bit perky and clumsy, she trusted her.

"Joy, could you check Vulpix's legs for me?"

Nurse Joy got a huge smile on her face.

"Of course darling!"

She picked up vulpix and walked over to the counter.

"Chansey!" Joy shouted cheerfully. A few second later chansey appeared with standard check up instruments.

"I'm just going to do an average check up procedure, for my favorite trainer!" She glanced back at Lydia, "And I could also do one for my favorite coordinator if she would like!"

Lydia shook her head.

"No thanks joy, but I appreciate the offer."

Joy beamed and went on with the check up. She probed and poked vulpix, and weighed her, measured her height. She checked her ears, eyes and nose. She opened her mouth and check her teeth and tongue. When she was done she held up vulpix and kissed her on the nose. She turned around and handed her to Chelsea.

"Vulpix is a healthy young pokemon. She will level up properly and grow up nice and strong." Joy paused and the continued. "The scaring on her legs won't affect her much, but they are a sign of previous injuries. If she was in the wild, maybe she was attacked by another pokemon. But there is a possibility of human abuse." Joy looked over at Chelsea and Lydia. She giggled nervously. "I'm not saying you guys hurt her, dear no, but that is just a possibility."

Chelsea nodded and smiled at Joy.

"Thank you," She turned to Lydia, "We have to go pick up our pokedex's with the professor."

Chelsea and Lydia hugged Joy.

"Now, you better say bye when you leave for good, ok?" Joy said.

"We promise Joy!" Lydia said.

Chelsea nodded in agreement.

"How could we leave with out saying bye to our favorite nurse?"

Joy smiled and waved as they walked through the door.

Chelsea took out the map as they walked away from the Pokemon center.

"Ok! Littleroot town is south of here, so if we take route 101 we should make it there before noon!"

Lydia looked at the map and traced the route with her finger.

"Route 101, hmm." Lydia put a finger on her chin. "Wurmple, Poochyena and Zigzagoon live there…"

"Well then," Chelsea said folding the map up. "Off to route 101!" Chelsea bent down to vulpix and held out her poke ball.

"Ok, back in your poke ball." Vulpix tilted her head and reluctantly returned to her ball. Lydia followed suit and returned her swablu too.

They had reached the start of route 101 when a very formally dress man came running, rather stiffly, with a package under his arm.

"Ms. Crystal!" He shouted.

Lydia turned around and waited for him to approach.

"Ms. Crystal, good morning." He said catching his breath. "Your package from the Sinnoh region arrived just after you left." He had a strong British accent and stood very straight.

Lydia's eye's lit up.

"Oh, I was hoping it would have come before I left, I was rather disappointed I had to leave before it arrived." She had magically picked up an elegant tone.

The butler nodded and handed her the package.

"I wish you good luck on your journey, and may you perform at your very best." He bowed his head. "Good day, Ms. Crystal." He turned to Chelsea, "Good day, Ms. Carmine."

Chelsea watched him walk off, then she turned her attention to Lydia and her package. Lydia cover the package with her body and wouldn't let Chelsea see.

"Come on, let me see!"

"Wait, let me get it on!"

Chelsea stood there and waited for Lydia. She finally stood up and showed her arm.

"I present, Lydia's brand new Poketch!" She said in a bold voice.

Chelsea looked at the shiny pink thing on Lydia's wrist. It was displaying the time, 7:49a.m.

"A digital watch?"

Lydia shook her head.

"No, not just a digital watch!" Lydia pushed the button and then it displayed the time in analog format.

Chelsea laughed,

"Ok, so it shows time in two different ways?"

"No!" Lydia said pushing the button again.

"It's a high-performance, small-sized computer I can wear on my wrist. And it has several features…" Every time Lydia pressed the button, she would name the feature.

"See? That's a pedometer, memo pad, dowsing machine, calculator, I think that's the list of pokemon with me… don't know what that does…"

Chelsea sighed and mutter to herself, "So it's the new 'poke gear' ?"

"It even has it's own little map!" Lydia said showing Chelsea a map.

Chelsea smiled.

"Yep, it does have a map. Too bad it's of the Sinnoh Region…"

"Whaa??" Lydia looked at it and sure enough it was of the Sinnoh.

"Looks like we're stuck with this stupid piece of paper." Chelsea said sarcastically, patting her pocket. "Well, come we don't want to get there too late."

The route to Littleroot town would be nothing more than a fifteen minute walk- at the most a half hour. Chelsea was rather disappointed they didn't meet any pokemon along the way, though there was the occasional rustle of leaves. Finally they arrived to Littleroot town.

Chelsea's eyes lit up when they could see the lab. She started to run toward it. Lydia was taken by surprise at Chelsea's swift change in speed, and quickly fell behind. She grabbed the thin stringy straps of her back pack and began to chase after her eager friend.


	3. Pokedex and Pokeballs

Chelsea finally saw the entrance to the lab. She could see the assistances working about and a thought fleetingly crossed her mind, _Where are the doors?_

"I'm here-"

SMACK!

Chelsea had just ran into an invisible barrier.

"Chelsea!" Lydia cried as she ran toward her.

Then the sliding glass doors opened with a

"Oh dear, are you ok?"

Chelsea looked at the lady in front of her. She was tall and slim, and had a gold chain necklace with a ruby at the end. She had a bobbed cherry red hair, and sharp, clear blue eyes. Underneath her white lab coat, she had a black, short, strapless dress, with knee high boots.

Chelsea sat crossed legged and looked up. She placed one hand behind her head and grinned. She was going to say she was fine, when a second person appeared. She had the same build as Chelsea, she was thin and the same height. She had a small pointy nose, a light complextion and cold aquamarine eyes. Her bangs stopped right above her left eye, her thick hair just barely reached her ear lobes. On top of her ripe lemon yellow hair, was a purple headband that matched her shirt. Her blouse was a light wine purple and the lipstick was the same color. She had a jean skirt that was the same length as Lydia's, and she had a pair of tan cowboy boots, with dark brown soles. On the heel, it had the silhouette of a wailmer in a dark brown leather.

"You ran into the door? Pathetic!" She snickered "You must be blinder than a zubat!"

"Jessica! Don't be so rude."

"Calling them as I see them." Jessica muttered, folding her arms.

"I apologize for Jessica's rudeness." The lady helped Chelsea up. "Hello, by the way. My name is Dr. Kelly Tintokrul, I'm usually an assistant here, but since Professor Birch is away, I'm in charge."

"Hi! I'm Chelsea."

"And I'm Lydia!" Lydia piped in. "Chelsea and I are from Oldale town!"

Jessica snorted.

"What's so funny?" Chelsea retorted. "And who are you exactly?"

Jessica returned her straight face.

"I'm Jessica Luov, from Sootopolis City."

Lydia giggled.

"Jessica Love?"

Jessica shut her eyes.

"It is pronounced LU-AH-V!" She said, putting emphasis on the 'u'.

Lydia giggled even more. Chelsea turned to Dr. Tintokrul.

"We are the new pokemon trainers." Chelsea then took out a little postcard with three pokemon on it.

Dr. Tintokrul looked at her card, and waited for Lydia to pull out her own. She examined the date of Lydia's card.

"Lydia, this was sent to you two months ago, why did you wait until now?"

Lydia smiled.

"I wanted to wait for Chelsea to turn twelve too, Dr. Tentacruel."

Dr. Tintokrul smiled.

"It's Tin-to-krul."

"That's what I said. Ten-ta-cruel."

Dr. Tintokrul smiled.

"You can call me Kelly. Ok!" Kelly clasped her hands together. "Let's go inside so you guys can pick your pokemon."

"But _I _get first pick since _I _got here first." Jessica said.

"It's ok, we already have our pokemon." Chelsea smirked.

The blood drained from Jessica's face.

"You… already have… your pokemon?"

"Yep." Chelsea sneered. "Lydia let's show her."

Lydia nodded, she did a little twirl, she plucked the poke ball from her waist, hugged and kiss it.

"Take the spot light!" She threw the poke ball in the air. "Swablu!"

Jessica didn't look amused.

"Come out Vulpix!" Chelsea cried.

Jessica walked around the two young pokemon. Vulpix and Swablu coward slightly, but tried to stay brave.

"Well, they're both weak pokemon, couldn't be past level five. The vulpix is probably not even at level three-" Vulpix growled at the insult. "And seems poorly trained."

Vulpix stood poised to attack, but Chelsea scooped it up.

"Don't listen to her." She cooed, Vulpix continued to growl, but subsided as they entered the lab.

They arrived at a room with boxes everywhere and three poke balls scattered on the table.

Kelly chuckled nervously.

"You guys are the first trainers I have to give pokemon to." She ran in to the room and place the three balls on the table into a neat row. "I only have the basic machines running, since they are new and all." She stood up straight and held her clipboard professionally. "Ok, Jessica, since you are they only one who has to choose, you may pick your pokemon now."

Jessica stood in front of the table and closed her eyes.

"I want the water-type."

"That's mudkip." Lydia chimed.

Jessica jerked her head toward Lydia, and glared at her.

"Just thought you should know…" Lydia became very quiet.

"Ok," Kelly picked up the poke ball in the middle. "Here you go. Mudkip is a wonderful choise." She turned around and faced four machines. "Ok, first we need to give you guys your trainer cards." She walked over to the first machine. It looked like a dark silver photo booth except with out a back.

"Let me explain what a trainer card is." Dr. Kelly Tintokrul shifted her clipboard nervously.

"Well, it has a full body picture of you, in 2D and 3D , your name and city you came from. It also has you ID number and manages your money." She turned around and turned on the machine.

"Well, who wants to go first?"

Jessica pushed to be in front.

"I believe _I _was first to arrive."

"Ok, Jessica, stand here… ok, now I pull back this curtain… and press the button once trainer is ready."

Chelsea stood on her tip-toes and saw Kelly was reading from something.

"Trainer may pose in any way they choose… Jessica did you here that?"

"Yeah, yeah, just take the damn picture already."

"Ok, I'm pushing the button in 1... 2... 3!"

After a series of flashes, Jessica pulled back the curtain. Kelly stepped in front of the monitor. She began typing.

"Name… Jessica Luov… ID number is randomly issued… Home town… Sootopolis City…" She turned around and gave Jessica a pen. "Sign you signature so it can be printed on the card." The ID card came out of a little slot after a minute. It was a little thicker than a regular id card. Kelly took the card out of the slot, before Jessica could get it.

"Ok, you guys this is the newest line of Id cards. It's basically a small scanner and camera. It records how many pokemon you've caught, seen, how many trades you've made, how many battles you've won, lost and tied; and when you started your pokemon journey."

Kelly shook the card alittle and then a hollow graphic image of Jessica appeared. Chelsea saw that Jessica had chosen a simple pose, legs apart, hands in pockets. The picture began to fade. Kelly smiled and gave the card to Jessica.

"When the picture fades, just give the card a shake to make it appear again."

Chelsea and Lydia went through the same process, except, unlike Jessica, posed in there own creative ways. Chelsea was now staring at her Id card with her name and her own trainer Id number. " 55425..." Chelsea murmured to herself.

"Yay! I got a good number!" Lydia cried holding up her trainer card.

Jessica looked over to Lydia.

"Dare I ask what it is?"

"6-2-6-9-8!" She cried chirpily.

"And what is so great about it?" Jessica said with boredom.

"It's fun to say!" Lydia said beaming, she was determined to stay positive.

"Whatever." Jessica said rolling her eyes. "At least mine is easy to memorize. 2-6-7-8-9."

"Ok! Now you guys get you pokedexs!" Kelly walked over to an open box and took out three blinding, white pokedexs. She walked over to the second machine.

"These are newly shipped from Professor Rowan." She flipped on the second machine.

"This is the pokedex customizing machine. We've heard a lot of people complain of accidentally picking up somebody else pokedex because they had the same color. So this machine customizes your pokedex in three ways." She held out one finger, "Name," lifted up another finger, "Color," She held up three fingers. "And symbol." She handed the pokedexs to the three girls. "Now look at your pokedexs and think- what color would you like and what symbol do you want? Oh, and traditionally your pokedexs and poke balls match. Lets say you you have a red pokedex with a yellow flame, then your poke balls would be red with a little yellow flame."

"I know what I want."

Chelsea and Lydia turned to Jessica.

"Ok! Well then you go first." Kelly said, stepping out of the way.

Jessica took over the machine. She automatically picked purple as her color. She scrolled through the icons obviously looking for a specific symbol.

"You could also draw your own…" Kelly said, watching Jessica work the machine with more expertise than herself.

Jessica finally arrived at three squiggly line the imitated waves. Jessica chose the color black for them. She typed in her name finally, then she stuck her pokedex in the slot.

"This machine lasers in your name , then spray paints it the basic color you picked. Then it paints on your symbol. Finally it sprays on a hard plastic coating that is, water-proof , fire-proof, shock-proof, and pokemon-proof. Basically an indestructible little gadget. And on the side of the pokedex there is a space to swipe you card. It automatically syncs information between the pokedex and the card-" A beep interrupted Kelly, and indicated that Jessica's pokedex was ready.

Lydia went and picked her color, (a neon green) and her symbol a red heart. When it was Chelsea's turn, she was still thinking.

I can't pick red, Yulie would kill me… But I do really like it white.

"Um, Dr. Kelly could I keep mine… um white?"

"You wanna keep yours white? You are such a plain Jane." Jessica said.

"As much as I hate to agree with her,… don't you want to give it a little pizzazz?" Lydia said.

"Now, if Chelsea wants to keep her pokedex plain she is customizing it in her own way." She looked at Chelsea, "You still have to have you name lasered."

Chelsea nodded and stuck the pokedex in the machine. It popped out of the machine quicker than the other two.

Each girl swiped there trainer cards. The pokedexs started up with a set of chimes, then the screens flickered on. They showed a picture of there owner, then said their Id numbers.

"26789"

"62698"

"55425"

After each of the pokedexs had recited their Id numbers, they asked.

"Please record you name for future voice references."

"Jessica Luov."

"Lydia Crystal."

"Chelsea Carmine."

Each girl proceeded to install the time, date; and their own age, birthday and fingerprint. Once they were finished Dr. Kelly explained what the pokedex could do. She then ran over to another box.

"Come, come!" She said and made them line up. She gave each of them five poke balls to hold. Then she ran back over to a third machine that oddly resemble a poke ball transferor, except it was onyx, black and had a screen at the bottom.

"Ok, like I said before, pokedex and poke balls are traditionally colored in the same way. So, for an easy paint job just insert your trainer card in the slot and it will give you a preview of what the poke ball would look like if you would like to match it to the pokedex exactly. Once you finish the machine will automatically record the paint job on you card, so that way with any future poke ball purchases all you have to do is insert your card and any machine will already know how to paint your poke balls. "

Jessica with out any further delay, came up and inserted her trainer card. The poke ball hologram showed up. Where the original poke ball was red, this one was the same shade of purple as her pokedex. And right above the button was her symbol. The only change she made was to the bottom portion, instead of white, she made it a dark gray. She loaded her poke balls into the machine and as they were spray painted, the machine recorded the design to her trainer card.

Lydia inserted her card in to the slot next and loved the poke ball design, and just like Jessica she changed the bottom color. Not to an ugly gray, but to a nice silver. She had to stand on her tiptoes to load her poke ball into the machine. Once they were finished, out came neon green poke balls, with a red heart just above the button, and a silver bottom.

It was Chelsea's turn next and when she swiped her card, the picture that appeared was the original red and white poke ball. She liked it, the only thing she wanted to add was a symbol. She loaded her poke balls, and just like the pokedex, hers came out faster. They were ordinary poke balls, except for the yellow star right above the button.

Dr. Kelly smiled at all of them. They seemed to be promising kids, and maybe she could even expect great thing from them.


	4. Chelsea's First battle, Lydia's Wurmple

Each of the three girls put away their poke balls. Jessica, using the classic poke ball belt. Chelsea, giving each ball its own clip that she attaches to a loop on her pants. And Lydia, who bough a fashion belt, which wraps around her hips, and produces a cloth covered chain that hangs off one hip; the poke balls are attached to the chain.

The new "official" trainers stood there very proud of there attire. Dr. Kelly turned to the final machine. She turned on the pc.

"Ok, now to register you guys in to the data base, and make you guys an account."

Registering was simple. All that was needed to be done was scan in the Id card and type in additional information. Once they were finished, they were automatically given an account. The pokemon in there account would be transferred to Dr. Kelly, if Professor Birch was not there. Once they logged in to their account, they could transfer, deposit, and withdraw their pokemon.

Once they were finished Dr. Kelly went over a mental list.

"Pokemon… pokedexs… poke balls… accounts… Ok! I think we got every thing done." She bit the end of her pen. "Well, you can register for the Hoen League at any pokemon center with your trainer cards... You can also put money in our trainer cards at any pokemon center. What else am I missing?"

Lydia raised her hand.

"What about pokemon contests? Where do I register for those?"

Kelly smiled.

"At the first pokemon contest you enter. Well, I think I hit every thing. But if I did forget anything, you can call and ask whoever's here. Whether it be me or the Professor, though I doubt he'll be back any time soon."

Jessica came up to Lydia.

"What did you say your last name was?"

"Crystal, Lydia Crystal." Lydia said mildly shocked at Jessica's calm manner.

Her eyes grew wide.

"And you said you were from Oldale town? So, you're the heiress to the Crystal Empire?"

Lydia's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, I am. But I will not be known as the heiress to the Crystal Empire. I will make a name for myself, as the greatest pokemon coordinator!" She folded her arms and stood there.

Chelsea smirked. That was one way to get on Lydia's bad side. Remind her why she wanted to leave Oldale town so bad. Mention everything she was being prepared for, call her a name she didn't want. She truly wanted to be a coordinator, and the best. She didn't want to be known as the Heiress to the Crystal Empire. But her parents simply saw this journey as a way for there little girl to know the "customer" better.

The Crystal Empire was a company. They were centered around pokemon contests. Pokeblocks, poffins, seals and even manufacturing the ribbons for all the regions. But there best sellers were there accessories. And all this would be hers someday. And she wanted none of it. That's why she visited her grandparents and cousins frequently at the bird farm. Whenever she wasn't being suffocated with school work, she would help around the farm, and learn to love bird pokemon like the rest of her family.

Jessica sensed Lydia's anger boiling, for no apparent reason and stepped away. She looked at Chelsea.

"Well, looks like we are rivals. Just because your pokemon is weaker than mine, don't expect me to go easy on you."

"Who says my pokemon is weak? I bet yours couldn't beat a wurmple!" Chelsea looked around and saw that Jessica was already at the door.

"Actions speak louder than words! See ya!" And with that Jessica was gone.

Kelly shook her head.

"She looks so much like her mother, but if one thing she inherited from her father, she got his love of water pokemon. Or maybe it's just us Sootopolis folk…" Kelly turned around to Chelsea and Lydia.

"If your gonna be Lydia's rival, then you better get moving. She's got a lot spunk and will leaving you eating dust."

Chelsea smiled and grabbed Lydia by the arm. And ran for the door.

"Then consider us gone!"

Lydia waved.

"Bye Dr. Kelly!"

By the time they were out the door, Jessica was nowhere in sight.

"Well we better start heading back to the Pokemon center, if we want to make it to Petalburg by dark!" Lydia said marching down the road. Chelsea eagerly followed. When they got closer to route 101 they let out there pokemon. Swablu soared above them and vulpix trotted next to Chelsea.

"I hope we get to see a pokemon before we get back to Oldale. It be awesome to show Joy a new pokemon!" Chelsea said. As if on cue they herd a rustling noise up ahead.

"What was that?" Lydia asked.

"It was a pokemon that's what!" Chelsea shouted and ran up ahead. It was a Zigzagoon, and it was rubbing its back on a tree.

Chelsea took out her pokedex.

"Zigzagoon, the tiny raccoon pokemon." A picture of a Zigzagoon appeared on the screen and the cool female voice continued.

"Zigzagoon restlessly wanders everywhere at all times. This pokemon does so very curiously. The hair on it's back is bristly. It rubs the hard back hair against trees to leave territorial marks."

Chelsea looked at vulpix.

"Ready for your first battle?"

Vulpix nodded.

"Ok! Use ember!"

The Zigzagoon looked up and jumped out of the way. The ember missed its target.

"Oo! It's fast! We gotta catch it! Vulpix ember again!"

Before vulpix could unleash another ember, Zigzagoon used tackled, and sent vulpix flying- into a tree.

"Vul!" Vulpix cried when it hit the tree.

"Vulpix!" Chelsea ran over to her and lifted her up. The zigzagoon saw its chance, and took its leave.

Lydia walked over to Chelsea.

"Is vulpix ok?"

Chelsea nodded her head.

"The Zigzagoon was just too fast."

"You win some, and you lose some. In this case you lost one." Lydia said, as Swablu perched itself on her shoulder. "Come on." She said holding out a hand to help Chelsea up. Vulpix walked along side them, if anything, her pride a little hurt.

"Hey, check were your first contest is being held!" Chelsea said turning around and started walking backwards.

"Ok." Lydia went for her pack and pulled up a guide book, A Guide to Hoen, and flipped through the pages.

"Well, there's one in Petalburg, but that's not until several months. So, the closest one would be in…" She flipped through the pages. "Ahh man! The closest one is in Slateport City, and it's not for a couple more months."

Chelsea put both her hands behind her head.

"Well, let's start with going off to my first gym battle. Where would the closest gym be?"

"Well there's one in-"

"Waaaahhh!"

Chelsea had tripped over something and was now on the ground. Vulpix immediately went to her. She began to growl at the pokemon that had cause Chelsea's fall.

Lydia pulled out her pokedex.

"Wurmple, the worm pokemon.

Wurmple is targeted by swellow, as well other pokemon as prey. This pokemon will try to resist by pointing the spikes on its rear at the attacking predator. It can evolve into one of two pokemon. Silcoon or Cascoon, the cocoon pokemon."

"Silcoon… hm?" Lydia thought, "Hey! Silcoon evolves into Beautifly!" She turned to Swablu. "We're about to catch our first pokemon! Ready Blu? Use growl!"

"Blu!"

Wurmple stopped and braced itself.

"Ok! Now use astonish!"

Swablu hit wurmple.

"Come on…"

Wurmple used string shot.

"Man! Swablu fly high!"

"Blu!"

Swablu flew into the sun, wurmple couldn't see it.

"Swablu, use astonish, then peck!"

"Blu!"

Wurmple was hit by an astonish.

"Come on…"

Wurmple flinched. Swablu then used peck. Wurmple lay unconscious.

"Pokeball!" Lydia threw her poke ball. Chelsea had watched the battle from where she had fallen. And now she looked at the shiny silver and green poke ball a few feet in front of her. It sway back and forth, the button still red. Lydia waited frozen in place. Swablu and Vulpix too watched the poke ball.

The poke ball stopped teetering, and the button returned to normal.

A huge grin made itself home on Lydia's face.

She ran over to the poke ball and picked it up. She kissed it.

"I caught my first pokemon!" She ran over to Swablu. "Blu, you helped me catch wurmple! Let's meet our new partner."

"Blu!" Swablu hit the poke ball with it's beak, releasing the newly caught wurmple.

"Good job, Lydia." Chelsea said smiling, she stood up and walked over to wurmple. "Hey check what level it's on."

Lydia nodded and pushed a button on her pokedex. It scanned wurmple and on the second screen, results came up.

"It's a girl… on level 5 and the attacks it knows are tackle, string shot and poison sting!"

"That's a pretty good first catch."

"And only two more levels till it evolves into a silcoon." Lydia picked up wurmple and hugged it. "And then you be a beautiful Beautifly!" She returned it to her pokeball.

After about five more minutes they arrived at the pokemon center.

"Joy!" Chelsea and Lydia said running into the center.

Chelsea ran into someone.

"Ow! What's up with you and running into things!?"

Chelsea looked and saw she had knocked over Jessica.

"Sorry."

Chelsea got up and helped her up.

"And your as slow as a squirtle. I'm already on my way to Petalburg. Hope you catch up. See ya!" And she was gone.

"What happened to the grouchy crobat she was this morning?" Chelsea said confused.

"Maybe she just woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Lydia replyed, staring at the doors.


	5. Wurmple against Wurmple

"Yeah mom, Yulie left in the morning. She gave me this vulpix." Chelsea said holding Vulpix up to the screen.

"And it's a cute pokemon. Are you sure you have everything?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Well, be careful and always stay with Lydia. Call me whenever you get the chance. I know your going do great."

"Thanks, I'm gonna train real hard to be the best. I'm leaving town for good today, wish me luck!"

"Good luck dear. And catch some more adorable pokemon, bye."

"Bye!"

Chelsea hung up the phone and turned to Lydia on the other pay phone.

"Yes, mother."

"And don't forget that recipe book we gave you."

"I have all three of them dad. The meal, poke block, and poffin books."

"And do you have the guide book we bought you?"

"A Guide to Hoen? I got it."

"Very good. Now if you have any problems call us. And if you want to come home it will be fine."

"Mother!"

"Fine, fine. Best of luck."

"Good bye."

"Bye sweetheart."

Lydia hung up the phone and made another phone call.

"Hi Grandma and Grampa!"

"Hello, Lydia! Did you get everything from Professor Birch?"

"Yes, but Professor Birch wasn't there, Grandpa. Dr. Kelly Tentacruel was the one who helped me."

"Well that's just fine! Now you do your best and don't give up, you hear!"

"And stay with Chelsea. You two are going to become legends!"

"Thank you Grandma. Chelsea and I are leaving today. Well, bye! Love you Grampa, Grandma!"

"Bye!"

She hung up and turned to Chelsea. She stood up and straightened her skirt.

"You Ready?"

"You bet I am!"

"No your not." Joy came up to them. "Not with out giving me a hug!"

Chelsea and Lydia smiled. They hugged nurse Joy.

"I'm gonna miss you." She said squeezing them. "And I packed something for each of you." She gave them each a little bag.

"That should have enough to heal your pokemon when you can't find a Pokemon center."

"Thank you." They both replied in unison.

"Now, you gals get going before I start to cry." Nurse Joy said beaming. "And say hello to my sister in Petalburg!"

"How will we know who she is?" Lydia asked.

"She works at the pokemon center, and she looks like me." Joy winked. "You'll know she's my big sis when you see her."

"Ok, well bye!" Lydia said.

"Bye, Joy!"

"Bye!" Joy said waving.

Chelsea and Lydia walked out of the Pokemon center.

"What route are we taking Chelsea?" Lydia said walking down the street.

"The only route to Petalburg, route 102!" Chelsea said, not bothering to take out the map.

"Well, it might take all day, so let's go." Lydia said, skipping down the rode.

Route 102 was oddly deserted. There was the occasional flock of taillow over head, and a lot wurmple but nothing more.

"This sucks!" Chelsea said collapsing under the shade of an oran tree.

"We've been walking for _two_ hours and the only thing we've seen is stupid wurmple! If I _see_ another wurmple, I'll- I'll-!"

Lydia picked up something from the ground.

"Hey, Chelsea, do berry's heal pokemon?"

Chelsea sat up.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Pokeball!" Lydia said throwing up her pokeball.

"Blu!" Swablu flew in the air then landed in front of Lydia.

"Swablu eat this." Lydia said giving the berry to Swablu.

"Hey, I'm hungry too…" Chelsea mumbled.

"Did you like that Swablu?" Lydia asked ignoring Chelsea.

Swablu nodded her head and chirped brightly.

"Ok, well there is more in the tree, see? You can eat as much as you want but first I want you to bring me some, k?" Lydia asked sweetly.

A few minutes later Chelsea and Vulpix were munching on oran berries. Swablu was up in the tree eating them. Lydia sliced up an oran berry and was feeding it to her wurmple.

"Whose gonna grow up to be a beautiful Silcoon?" Lydia cooed as she fed wurmple another slice of the berry. Then she set down the slices and left wurmple to eat. She went through her bag and took out two bandanas. She separated the remaining berries into two separate piles on each bandana. She tied up the bandanas and handed a bundle to Chelsea.

"Those are your berries."

Chelsea took the bundle. She began to put it away when she heard a movement in a nearby bush. She put the bundle in her bag, and her uneaten berries in her pocket.

She turned around, and could of sworn she saw a pokemon. Chelsea got on all fours and held out an oran berry in her hand.

"Come out little pokemon." She spoke softly to the bush. A white silhouette was visible among the leaves.

"That's it, I'm not gonna hurt you." The mystery pokemon was going to reveal itself, if it wasn't for Chelsea, who had just screamed.

Something had crawled over her leg, in pursuit of the berries. Chelsea turned around and saw it was a wurmple.

"Lydia watch your wurmple-" Chelsea turned to Lydia and saw she _was _holding her wurmple. Chelsea turned back to the _wild_ wurmple on her leg.

"Ahhh! I'm sick of all these wurmple!" She looked around for something to throw at it. Unable to find a projectile, Chelsea unclipped a pokeball and threw it in frustration at the wurmple. It opened and the wurmple became a red streak of light for a second, then vanished in the pokeball. The pokeball wobbled a bit then sat still.

Chelsea stared at her motionless pokeball on the ground.

"What just happened?"

Lydia started laughing.

"You, just caught a wurmple."

Chelsea slumped to the ground.

"Nooo." She moaned, now she _owned _an annoying wurmple.

"Well, come on. I want to see your first catch." Lydia managed to get out, through a fit of giggles.

Chelsea pushed the button and out came wurmple. It went automatically to Chelsea's leg and rubbed against it.

"Aww, see it _wants_ to be with you." Lydia said.

Chelsea took a berry out of her pocket and held wurmple in her arms.

"This is what you wanted, wasn't it?" She asked as she fed it.

Lydia clapped her hands together.

"I know, why don't we have a pokemon battle? Your wurmple against mine?"

Chelsea looked up.

"Yeah, ok sounds like fun." She set down wurmple and looked at it. "Ok! Wurmple, we're going to win this!"

Lydia set down her wurmple too.

"Ok, who starts off?"

"Rock, paper, scissors?" Chelsea shrugged.

"Ok."

"Rock! Paper! Scissors!"

"I win." Chelsea said holding up a victorious scissors hand sign. She stood behind wurmple.

"Wurmple, use tackle!"

Wurmple rushed at Lydia's wurmple.

"Beautiful, use string shot to slow wurmple down!"

"Beautiful?" Chelsea questioned.

Lydia grinned.

"That's her nickname. But don't worry 'bout that, you should pay attention to the battle."

Chelsea looked at her wurmple.

"Oh no, wurmple try to break free!" Wurmple was tangled up in a web of white string.

"Beautiful, use tackle!"

Chelsea looked at her helpless wurmple take the force of the tackle. But one good thing came from it, the web came off.

"Yay! Ok, Beautiful, use poison sting!" Lydia shouted.

"You too, use poison sting!" Chelsea shouted, her wurmple looked back in confusion.

"You mean you don't know poison sting?" Chelsea asked weakly. Wurmple was hit by the poison sting.

"Oh! We can't lose! Wurmple, put all your energy into one tackle attack!" Chelsea yelled pointing at Beautiful.

Wurmple pulled itself off the ground and charged at Beautiful with all it's strength. That was enough to send Beautiful flying in the air. When she landed she was unconscious.

"Yes!" Chelsea said running to wurmple and lifting it up in the air.

"We won!" She hugged wurmple. "I think I'll keep him."

Lydia walked over to her wurmple and fed it a berry. "You did wonderfully." And she returned Beautiful to her pokeball.

"You did awesome wurmple!" Chelsea said, returning him to the pokeball.

"You know, you must have a pretty strong wurmple." Lydia said coming up to Chelsea. She thought for a second. "They don't learn poison sting till they're level five. And to be able to beat Beautiful with one tackle attack… That's gotta be a strong pokemon."

Chelsea smiled triumphantly.

"And to think I caught it by accident."

Lydia laid her finger on her cheek.

"What were you doing on your hands and knees though?"

"That's right…" Chelsea turned around and returned to the bush. She started searching among the branches and leaves.

"I thought… I saw… a pokemon." She gave up the search and turned back to Lydia.

"Maybe it was a Zigzagoon." Lydia offered.

"Maybe…" _It didn't look like a Zigzagoon though…_ Chelsea finally accepted it probably was a trick of the light. She looked at the sky.

"Lydia, what time is it?"

She looked at her Poke Etch.

"Oh, it's 2: 47!" Lydia picked up her bag. "We better hurry up. I want to make it to the Pokemon center before dark."

They continued down the route, but now Chelsea had a funny feeling that they were being followed. She shook it off, since neither pokemon seemed concerned. Vulpix was walking in front of her, and Swablu dogging them in the air.


	6. Briana the Coordinator

Chelsea squinted, she could make out buildings in the distance. And a good thing too, it was getting dark.

"Life! Lydia, look I see Petalburg City!" She began to sprint toward the city.

Lydia shook her head.

"Hey, wait up!"

Chelsea slowed down her sprint to a steady jog. When Lydia caught up to her she began to walk again.

"Too tired… and hungry… to run." Chelsea panted.

"When we get there I'll buy us dinner somewhere." Lydia reassured Chelsea. "But first we have to go to the pokemon center."

"Aw man. I wanted to eat…"

"Chelsea, think of the pokemon!"

Chelsea looked down to her side and saw vulpix was as exhausted as she was.

"Sorry Vulpix." Chelsea unclipped the pokeball. "Here, hop inside so you don't have to walk anymore."

Vulpix somehow found energy and held her head up, walking past Chelsea and Lydia.

"Huh?" Chelsea said clipping the pokeball back to her pants, and followed vulpix.

"Looks like Vulpix wants to finish walking to the center." Lydia said.

By the time they got to the Pokemon center it was dark. They got a huge surprise when they walked in.

"Good Evening ladies!" Said a smiling woman with pink hair. She looked exactly like nurse joy, except older and had strong brown eyes.

"Nurse Joy?" Lydia asked walking in.

Chelsea looked at her. She definitely was related to her Nurse Joy.

"Are you the big sister to the Joy in Oldale Town?"

Nurse Joy smiled.

"Yes, yes I am. And you to must be Chelsea and Lydia, my sister is very fond of you."

Chelsea smiled and picked up Vulpix and placed her on the counter.

"Can you heal my pokemon?" She asked, unclipping wurmple's pokeball, and setting it on the counter too.

"And mine!" Lydia said, smiling sweetly.

"Chelsea? Is that you?"

Chelsea turned to her name being called.

"Briana!"

She ran up to her and hugged a girl with a tanner completion than her own. She was wearing a dark red shirt, with a black jacket over it, and light blue jeans. Her hair, an even darker brown than Chelsea's, was tied up, only her bangs escaping. Beneath those bangs were brilliant green eyes that always had a flirtatious glow.

"Chelsea, what are you doing this far away from Oldale town?" Briana asked letting go of Chelsea.

"I'm a pokemon trainer now!" Chelsea said.

"Oh, well I guess I already knew you wouldn't want to be a coordinator." As Briana spoke, two cat-like pokemon appeared, on either side of her.

One was a lavender colored pokemon, it's tail was long, slim, and toward the end divided in two. It's almond shaped eye's was a deep violet, and emphasized the red jewel on the center of it's head.

The second one had pitch black fur, with rings of yellow on it's forehead, legs, tail and ears. It had piercing red eyes, and it seemed very odd to see one in broad daylight.

The two pokemon began to circle Chelsea.

"Chelsea…" Lydia had been left out and now was a little worried her friend was being encircled my two strange pokemon.

Briana looked over Chelsea's shoulder.

"Don't be rude Chelsea, who's your friend?"

"Oh, that's Lydia." Chelsea said, now bent down and petting the pokemon.

Briana sighed and walked over to Lydia, and smiled.

"My name is Briana Murusaki." She nodded over to Chelsea, "And those two are my pokemon, Sunset- espeon, and Luna- umbreon."

"I'm Lydia Crystal." Lydia said.

"Are you a trainer too?"

"No, I'm actually a coordinator." Lydia thought a bit. "I think I saw you on the Young Top 30 coordinators from Kanto…"

Briana's eye lit up.

"I like this friend of yours!" She said to Chelsea. "Number sixteen, isn't anything to fuss over though, but I'm glad you recognized me."

"Hey, at least you have your picture up somewhere!" Lydia said.

Chelsea walked toward them, Luna and Sunset trailing behind.

"Lydia, you should see _all_ of Briana's pokemon, they are so pretty." Chelsea stood next to Lydia. The pokemon left Chelsea and began to circle Lydia. Briana lifted an eyebrow. Sunset rubbed against on Lydia's leg. Luna stood on her hind legs and place her front paws on the other leg. Lydia bent down the pet umbreon and she purred in approval.

"That's weird." Briana said.

"What?" Lydia asked, withdrawing her hand from umbreon's head.

"They don't warm up to people that fast." Chelsea began, "They only do that to me, because I've known them since they were little eevees."

"Sometimes I wonder if Yulie gave them to me reluctantly…" Briana said absentminded. She clapped her hands together. "Let's go eat!"

Lydia was startled at her sudden change in subject. But Briana was already halfway out the door.

"Your pokemon are ready." Nurse Joy said from behind the counter.

"All they needed was a quick boost-"

"Thanks Nurse Joy!" Chelsea and Lydia grabbed their pokeballs and ran after Briana.

Chelsea and Lydia had a jog to catch up to Briana.

"Do you have rapidash or houndoom with you?"

"No."

"Who do you have with you then?"

Briana paused to think.

"Ninetails, arcanine," Briana stopped, "And of course the one Yulie gave me."

"Yulie gave you a pokemon too?" Chelsea said, a little broken hearted.

"Yeah, she also gave Micah one too."

_That was stupid of me to think that, of course she was gonna give them pokemon too._ Chelsea had thought that she was the only one Yulie had given a pokemon to.

"Yulie gave Chelsea a pokemon too." Lydia piped in.

"Oh! Really? Well come on, let's see." Briana said looking at Chelsea.

"Um, ok." Chelsea said being snapped out of her thoughts. She took one of the pokeballs out.

"Come out Vulpix!"

"Oo!" Briana said, she picked up vulpix and cuddled it. Next thing she knew, was that her head was on fire.

"Damn it!" Briana shouted but she kept her grip on vulpix.

"Vulpix!" Chelsea moaned, she took vulpix back.

Briana shook her head clean of ashes.

"I see she doesn't like to be held…"

"Not by strangers, bad vulpix!" Chelsea said, scolding her. "This is Briana, a _very_ close family friend." Vulpix nodded her head, but didn't show any remorse for smoking Briana's head.

"Just as rude as it's trainer." Muttered Briana.

"What!?"

"Let's eat here!" Lydia said before a fight could break out.

Briana turned to look at the restaurant.

"Do you know what this is?"

"The book says it's the one of the best restaurants in town."

Briana went off to a corner.

"I can't afford to eat there." She said quietly.

Lydia beamed.

"Don't worry, I'll pay for you!"

Briana hugged Lydia.

"Chelsea, have I told you I like your friend?"

Once they were seated and had ordered their food, they began to chat.

"When did you start your journey?" Lydia asked sipping on some water.

"About two years ago."

"So your fourteen?"

"Yep."

"How do you know Chelsea?"

"I'm best friends with her sister Yulie. And her family has been very nice to me over the years. Are you finished interrogating me?"

"I'm sorry, I've never met a good coordinator before."

Briana giggled.

"I'm not sure about good, but I am a coordinator!"

"I think your flattering her too much, she might start to get the idea that she doesn't stink." Chelsea said, not hiding the sarcasm in her voice.

"Chelsea, as much as I love you, I could beat you at your own game."

"What are you saying?" Chelsea questioned, starting to stand up.

"I could beat you in a pokemon battle any day, any place, any time."

"How bout today, outside, right now?"

"Your on."

"Foods here!" Lydia said, taking the plates from the waitress and placing them in front of the two bickering girls.

"Food!" Briana shouted and began to dig.

"Huh?" Lydia asked.

Chelsea smiled.

"There are only three things Briana does is sleep, coordinate and eat."

"Dis is some good food!" Briana said through a mouth full of food.

"Hey, Briana…"

"Yeah?"

"Could- Could I have a pokemon battle with you?"

Briana looked up from her plate. She swallowed her food.

"Yeah, sure!"

"Wait, that's not fair!" Chelsea said.

"Why not?" Lydia asked.

"All of Briana's pokemon are on too high levels."

"Not all of them." Briana said, sipping her drink.

"But, you've had them all since-"

"I've got strong pokemon, true. But I have a recent addition to my family."

"The one Yulie gave her." Lydia said.

Briana winked.

"You betcha! I'll battle you as soon as I'm done eating!"

"What is it?" Chelsea asked.

"You'll see." And Briana dug into her plate again.

* * *

after long thought, and my sister insisting, I have decided to change her age. She doesn't run around the house anymore and play "pretend", she sits on her bed and play video games. so I have changed her age to the current one, so that she can actually have say in what she says. and for people who want to know, no my last name isn't actually carmine. I just like how it sounded, chelsea carmine.

(and I have figure that no one is reading this, but I will continue to write!)

yulie1022

:P


	7. Dustox and Venomoths

The sky was so black, it shined some blue. The moon wasn't a perfect silver orb yet, and very few stars shone in the sky. They had selected a very quiet place outside the pokemon center, and were getting ready to battle. Umbreon stood behind Briana, it's yellow markings glowing slightly, and if they had not been glowing, she would have been invisible. Espeon stood on the other side of Briana, her violet eyes flashing in the dark.

Chelsea had climbed on top a boulder off to the side. She stood up, making her the tallest one there.

"This will be a one-on-one pokemon battle." Chelsea said raising her hands in the air. "First pokemon to faint loses!"

Briana messed with the pokeball in her hands.

"Just for you to know, my pokemon is a normal type!"

Lydia fingered the two pokeballs on her waist.

_Swablu is the stronger one, but I need to evolve wurmple._

"I chose my pokemon!" Lydia shouted.

Chelsea grinned.

"Then let the battle begin!" She shouted throwing her hands down.

Briana smiled and threw the pokeball in the air speechlessly. The pokeball open and a red light flew to the ground.

The pokemon spun around twice and landed in a bow. It had long ears, but one was curled up at the moment. It's feet and the tips of the ears were covered in puffy vanilla fur, and rest of it's fur was a brown.

"Bun, Bun!" It shouted happily.

Chelsea withdrew her pokedex as Lydia unleashed her wurmple.

"Buneary, the rabbit pokemon.

It slams foes by sharply uncoiling its rolled ears. When it senses danger, it perks up its ears. On cold nights, it sleeps with its head tucked into its fur."

Chelsea shut off the pokedex, not needing to hear any more. She was going to watch the battle.

"You can attack first." Briana said.

"No, you may." Lydia said with a smirk.

"Fine."

"Buneary, bounce a few times, do a flip, then hit wurmple with a pound!"

And buneary did just that. Chelsea watched curiously, why didn't Briana just order it to pound, that simple.

"Beautiful, used string shot!"

Wurmple began to, but got hit by buneary's pound. Buneary landed gracefully in front of Lydia.

Lydia winced when wurmple was hit.

"Beautiful, poison sting!"

"Buneary, jump!"

Buneary jumped in the air, the poison sting went past the spot where she stood, and hit Lydia.

"Ah!" The poison sting hit her arm and they did sting a little.

Wurmple looked stressed that it had hit its trainer.

"Buneary, do that routine again! Jump, flip, hit!"

"Oh no, We're ready this time! Beautiful, shoot poison sting up!"

Wurmple hit while it was still over head. Buneary was damaged, but still came down strong with a pound. Wurmple shut one eye in pain, it was hit hard.

"No…" Lydia moaned, then she got an idea. "Quick, before buneary lands, cover the ground in string shot!" Wurmple got to work covering buneary's side of the field in the sticky stuff.

_That_ was smart. Chelsea thought. _It'll stop buneary from jumping around so much._

"Bun?" The rabbit pokemon said when it's feet met the goop.

"Now, use tackle!" Lydia shouted.

Wurmple charged, and hit buneary.

"Good, now hit it with another tackle!"

Again buneary was hit.

"Enough! Buneary let's end this! Use, foresight, then Bounce!"

"Bun! Bun!"

Using all the strength it could muster, buneary jumped into the air.

"Beautiful dodge it!"

"That won't work, not after foresight!" Briana smiled.

Buneary landed on wurmple, and when she jumped back. Wurmple had all ready fainted.

"Oh, Beautiful." Lydia cried, running to her and cuddling wurmple.

Briana returned buneary to its pokeball and walked over to Lydia.

"That was a good battle. But to be honest, you can't battle in a contest like that."

"Huh?"

"You can't battle with brute force. You have to add style." Briana explained. Luna came up to Lydia and rubbed her head against her cheek.

"Wow."

"What?" Briana asked.

"I didn't realize before, how sleek Umbre- I mean Luna's fur was."

"That's just cause I groom them." Briana giggled. She felt Sunset's smooth fur against her hand as she petted her. "I believe in natural beauty. I don't dress up my pokemon, they are beautiful enough on their own." She held out her hand. "Come on, let's get our pokemon to Nurse Joy, they need rest." Lydia took it and got up. Briana turned to Chelsea.

"You coming?"

Chelsea stretched out on the big boulder.

"No, I think I'll stay out here for a while."

"Fine." Briana bent down to Luna. "Watch her ok?" Luna nodded her head and walked over to the boulder and jumped into Chelsea's lap. Chelsea smiled and stroked its fur.

"Hey, Luna, you know your getting kinda big. Soon you won't fit in my lap any more."

Luna yawned and stood up. She jumped down from the boulder and walked to the middle of the field.

"That's a good idea!" Chelsea jumped down from the boulder and ran toward her. She sat down next Luna and stared at the moon.

"You know something Luna? I think vulpix and wurmple would like to see the moon too." Luna nodded in agreement, Chelsea unclipped the pokeballs and released them. Vulpix quickly jumped into her lap. Chelsea noted how much smaller vulpix was than umbreon. Wurmple crawled over to the vacant side of Chelsea. They all stared at the moon for awhile, until a flock of venomoth and dustox flew by. Chelsea smiled.

"Wouldn't it be great to fly?" Chelsea thought aloud as she leaned back on her hands. She heard the grass shift and saw wurmple making it's way toward the boulder. When it got to the top it stared at the flock of bug pokemon. They shined in the moon light, there body's reflecting the color purple down at them. Chelsea stood up, mildly annoying vulpix, and walked over to the big rock. Before she got there wurmple jumped off. Chelsea began to sprint, but it was Luna that caught wurmple.

Chelsea picked up her wurmple off Luna's back.

"What were you think wurmple?"

"Wurm, wurm!" Wurmple said wiggling it's front legs.

Chelsea looked up at the moon.

"You wanna fly?"

Wurmple nodded his head vigorously

Chelsea watched the bug pokemon fly away. She set wurmple down.

"Ok then! Let's train hard so you can evolve!" Chelsea said her hands in fist. "No matter what you evolve into you'll be able to fly!"

Wurmple began to glow.

"Wha?" Chelsea said.

"Vul?"

Umbreon watched the pokemon evolving closely.

"Wurmple?"

"Cascoon…"

Chelsea lifted up cascoon and jumped around.

"Hurray! Hurray! You evolved!" Chelsea stopped. "Huh?" Cascoon had fallen asleep. Chelsea smiled and returned him to its pokeball.

"Does evolving take up energy?" She asked umbreon.

Umbreon was already half way toward the pokemon center. She turned around and gave Chelsea a follow-me look. Chelsea obeyed, vulpix smirked as she watched her trainer take orders from a pokemon.

"Briana?" Lydia said as they left Chelsea on top of the rock.

"Yeah?"

"Before, I'm not sure if I heard you right, but you said 'Sometimes I wonder if Yulie gave them to me reluctantly.' What did you mean?"

Briana smiled.

"I've known Yulie for a long time. And one thing a lot of people don't know, is that she could be one of the best pokemon breeders if she set her mind to it."

"So, she gave you eevee's?"

Briana nodded her head.

"She didn't just give them to me, she _bred_ them for me. She loves eevee's as pets, but she also train some of the strongest eevee's. She has each evolution of eevee, and each one loves her. But she kept one eevee, her first eevee, an eevee. And that eevee, you don't wanna mess with."

"Why not?"

"Not only is it a sweetie pie, but it has a deadly combination. Brains, Beauty, and Bronze."

"What."

"It's one of the best pokemon she has ever raised. And it's the mother of Luna and Sunset. See how her coat shines?" Briana said pointing to Sunset. Lydia nodded.

"That's what they inherited from there mother. Their coats are nothing compared to hers."

"Do you think she'll breed one for me?" Lydia asked. Briana laughed.

"Maybe, if you ask nicely. What do you want an eevee for, what would you evolve it into?"

"I don't know…"

"Well, when you ask her, be sure you do know. That's what she goes off when she breeds them."

"Why?"

"Well, that's what she told me. I think it so she knows who to breed with. See, Sunset and Luna have the same mother but different fathers. Yulie said it was so that they showed special colorings, and personalities."

During they're conversation they had arrived at the counter.

"Nurse Joy, could we get a room with three beds."

"Yes you can." Nurse joy replied cheerfully.

"Oh and when a girl and an umbreon walk in, can you tell them which room, please?"

"Of course!"

"What do you mean special colorings?"

"Well, for example, did you see how Luna's rings glow out there?"

"Yeah."

"Most umbreons do that when they attack or there is a full moon. But Luna's glow it a lot stronger than most, and no matter what, she glows naturally. And her eyes, you wont find a lot of umbreons with piercing red eyes like hers."

"But almost all umbreons have red eyes."

Briana frowned for a second, then smirked.

"You and Chelsea both have wurmple, right?"

"Yeah."

"And if I was to take them from you, then switch them would you be able to tell them apart."

"Yeah."

"How?"

"Well, cause mine has brighter spikes than Chelsea's."

"See? But they both have the same coloring. As a pokemon coordinator, you not only compare your pokemon, but you have to compare others. Sometimes you discover that a pokemon's coat can achieve a certain gleam, or that you can fine pokemon of different colors."

"But what about accessories? You can tell pokemon apart by what you put on them."

Briana stopped and looked at Lydia. Lydia realized they had been climbing stairs and Briana hung a few steps in front of her.

"Accessories are for people who have given up on their pokemon. People who think that they are not beautiful on their own and want to enhance their beauty." Briana began climbing the steps. "But in fact, are dressing them up as clowns." The trip to the room was silent, and only was interrupted when Chelsea burst in the room with a smile plastered on her face.

Chelsea thanked Nurse Joy for telling her what room she was staying in and raced vulpix and Luna upstairs. She opened the door to the room and found silence. She didn't like how quiet it was, and decided to leave her news until morning. She switched into her night gown, a soft purple, with different shades of purple flowers on it. Before she went to be Briana spoke to her.

"Chelsea I'm leaving you in the morning, alright?"  
"That's fine."

"Ok, goodnight."

"Night!" Chelsea said snuggling with her vulpix.

Briana silently recalled Luna and Sunset into their pokeballs and she too fell asleep.


	8. Vulpix and the Skateboard

By the time Chelsea had woken up, Briana was gone. She stretched out on the bed, waking vulpix with the squeaks of the mattress. Chelsea stood up and walked over to the mirror. She sighed and began to brush her hair into a ponytail. When she was done she walked over to Lydia's bed and woke her up. As Lydia got changed so did Chelsea. Chelsea finished packing her bag, the same time Lydia did. As they made their way back down stairs, they heard arguing.

"If you hate traveling with me so much, then leave!"

"I think I will!"

"Go on, I want to see you try to live with out me!"

"HAH! You need me more that I need you!"

As Chelsea and Lydia approached the two boys the argument came to a close. The odd thing was they were both wearing the same thing, sort of.

They were both wearing dark baggy pants, and bagging shirts. The shirts were black, and had one bold white stripe going diagonally across their chest. One had a blue and white shoes on, the other had green and white. The one who had green shoes, also had a white and black cap, with a green rim. It was pulled down low so you couldn't see anything but his mouth. And it was that one that stormed out. The one with blue shoes had a skateboard under one arm and walked over to Nurse Joy to retrieve his pokemon.

Chelsea and Lydia walked outside the pokemon center The clouds were fading away, the pink and orange were too.

"Isn't there a gym around here?" Chelsea said peeking over Lydia's shoulder as she flipped through her book.

"Yeah but it isn't recommended for beginners."

"I could beat it!"

Vulpix sat in the middle of the path grooming itself, hardly paying attention to her trainer's argument.

"Chelsea you don't have any fighting type pokemon."

"SO?"

"SO, you don't stand a chance, it's recommend for trainers to go in a certain order. Weakest to strongest. And we aren't that far off from the one that's recommended for the first badge."

"Where is it?"

"It's in Rustboro City."

"Then let's go!"

"It's through Petalburg Woods."

"Then let's get going!"

Vulpix was still grooming herself when she felt a crushing pain on her tail. She shrieked and attacked the cause of her pain.

"OWWW!"

Chelsea and Lydia turned around,

"Oh no!" They both shouted.

"You should train your vulpix!" He shouted as they ran toward him. Sadly they weren't worried about his well being, they were concerned about vulpix's tail.

"Vulpix are you ok?" Chelsea said scooping Vulpix up in her arms.

Isaac stood there wide eyed.

"Hey, my pants are burning and my skateboard is on fire!"

Lydia recognized him as one of the boys from earlier, she looked over the smoldering piece of rubble she assumed to be the skateboard.

Chelsea stood up.

"If you hadn't ran over my vulpix, this wouldn't have happen."

"If you had trained your vulpix, it wouldn't have attacked me!"

"Vulpix was in pain! You can't expect her to not attack you!"

This, somehow, made him feel bad.

"Sorry." He went through his backpack and took out a potion. He sprayed a bit on the tail. "There."

"Th-Thanks." Chelsea stuttered.

"Now, my skateboard is still a mess."

Chelsea looked over at the smoking wreckage.

"Oh, um…" Chelsea was too embarrassed to asked Lydia to pay for a new skateboard, and she was too poor to get one herself. She looked at his face. He had sharp features, and his jet black hair was a messy bowl cut. His eyes were what memorized her. He had the lightest brown eyes, no they weren't brown they were gold, he had amber eyes.

"Hello?"

Chelsea blushed when she realized she had stared a little too long.

"Well, um- I."

Just then, Nurse Joy saved Chelsea.

"Chelsea, you have a phone call."

"Thank you Nurse Joy, which phone?"

"Third one from the right."

"Thanks!" Chelsea shot off to the pokemon center.

Lydia gave Isaac a sorry look and ran off after Chelsea.

"Hello?"

"Hey Chels!"

"Hi!"

"Vul!" Vulpix was very pleased to see her face again.

"Hi Vulpix, I heard you cooked Briana's head!"

And for the first time, Vulpix showed embarrassment for what she did.

"How do you know Briana was with us?"

"Cause Briana called me earlier this morning. Hey, Lydia." Yulie added as Lydia popped into the screen.

"Hi, Yulie." Lydia said

"Who is the other person with you guys, I thought it was only you two." Yulie asked, someone with black hair had been hovering behind the two girls.

Chelsea turned around.

"Oh, this is-"

"Isaac, Isaac Scholls."

"Hi, are you one of Chelsea's friends?"

"N-"

"Yes, he's one of my friends!" Chelsea cut in, laughing nervously.

Isaac looked at her weird then looked back at the screen.

"And who are you?"

"I'm Chelsea's big sis, Yulie, Yulie Carmine."

Isaac stepped back as Lydia made her way to the screen.

"Yulie, I have a question." She said nervously.

"Shoot."

"Well, Briana said that you had eevees."

"Well, she wasn't lying!"

"And she said that you gave her Sunset and Luna."

"Yep, I did. How is she treating them."

"F-fine! They are extremely beautiful."

"Well, Briana is one of the best coordinators."

"Well, I was wondering, I'm a coordinator too, could you- you know…"

"Breed an eevee for you?"

Lydia sighed.

"Yes, please? Would you?"

"Of course. You want it for contests right?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, what would you evolve it into?"

Lydia had thought about this all night. She close her eyes and told her with confidence.

"I would evolve it into a vaporeon."

"Oo! Excellent choice!" Yulie said. "Ok, I'll get right on that, it's just right now I'm in Dewford Town. Maybe I can get a water stone." She muttered the last part.

Chelsea grinned,

"What are you doing there?"

Yulie redden slightly.

"Nothing! I-I heard you caught a pokemon, what is it?" Chelsea smiled at her sister's sudden change of subject. That's when Chelsea remembered.

"Yulie, um. Can a pokemon evolve without battling?"

Yulie blinked.

"Yeah, you know there are the stones, and other items, some evolve on happiness-"

"No, I mean a pokemon that can't evolve any other way besides experience."

"Why?"

"Well, I caught a wurmple, and so did Lydia."

"That's good."

"And Lydia's wurmple was on a higher level than mine-" Lydia arched her eyebrows when she heard the word, _was._ "And yesterday- at night- I was just talking to wurmple, and he, well evolved."

"Hmm," Yulie said shutting her eyes. "That's interesting. Well it's not unheard of. Their have been cases where the pokemon evolve on love and minimal experience points." Yulie opened her eyes and smiled. "I guess you caught a special wurmple, and it loves you very much."

Isaac snorted. Chelsea turned around,

"What's so funny?"

"You can't even train your pokemon, how did you earn their respect?"

"We went over this, you ran over vulpix!"

"And I _healed_ her. Now _fix_ my skateboard!"

Yulie looked at Lydia.

"What's going on?"

"Vulpix reduced Isaac's skateboard to ashes, and Chelsea can't pay for it."

Yulie sighed,

"Chelsea, you have to pay for it."

Chelsea looked at her sister pleadingly.

"But, I don't have the money! Can't you-"

"No, I can't. You have to take responsibility for your-" Yulie looked at vulpix. "And your pokemon's action." Yulie studied Isaac hard. When Isaac began to squirm, Yulie smiled.

"Isaac, I just have one question. If you had an eevee, what would you evolve it into?" Isaac was taken back by the question.

"I would evolve it in to a jolteon." He said blankly. Yulie looked at him hard again and smiled.

"Then you may follow Chelsea to the end of the world, until she repays you."

Chelsea had a look of horror on her face.

"But-"

"No buts, you owe him." Yulie looked behind herself. "I got to go! Best of luck, hope you do your best, bye!" And then the screen shut off.

Chelsea groaned. _Great_.


	9. Rosie of the Rats

Chelsea stood up from the phone and made her way to the door. Lydia followed her. Isaac stepped in front of her.

"So, when do you plan on paying for my skateboard?"

Chelsea sighed. She returned Vulpix to her pokeball. She didn't want anymore accidents.

"When I have the money."

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"Rustboro City."

Isaac smiled.

"Excellent, that's where I'm headed."

"Ok, so we are off for Petalburg woods!"

Isaac looked at Chelsea's small pack.

"Are you ready though?"

Chelsea stopped.

"What?"

"Are you prepared, like do you have a sleeping bag, flashlight- you know camp things." He gestured to his brown pack. It was bulging, and anyone could guess he was prepared for anything.

Lydia went white.

"C-camping?" She turned to Chelsea. "You never said we had to camp!"

"I thought we could sleep in pokemon centers."

Isaac shook his head.

"Some times there won't be pokemon centers. It'll take us at least three days to get through Petalburg Woods!" He began to walk away from the pokemon center.

"Where are you going?" Chelsea shouted.

"I need new pants, and you guys need to gear up!" Isaac kept walking. "And there is no way in hell that three people will fit in my sleeping bag."

Chelsea looked at his pants and saw that they were singed at the bottom, his shoes though, looked untouched. She made a mental note to ask why later.

Chelsea looked at Lydia and shrugged. She began to chase after Isaac and Lydia followed. They soon saw the blue roof of the famous Pokemart. Isaac went off to get himself new pants and left Chelsea and Lydia in the middle of the camping aisle.

"So, what do we need to go camping?" Lydia asked, looking at the tons of gear on the shelves before her.

"Well, for starters, I guess a sleeping bag." She walked over to the sleeping bags. She looked through them and found most of them pricey. She narrowed it down to the two cheapest. After a very intense round of eeny meany miny moe, Chelsea got her sleeping bag. It was a soft yellow with the picture of a chinchou on it. Lydia chose a sky blue one with bird pokemon printed on it. They both went off and each got what they thought was suitable gear. Lydia bought some cooking supplies, Chelsea heard her say something about cooking later that night.

Chelsea was about to pay for her things when the clerk ask if she would like to transfer all her paper money to her trainer card. Chelsea smiled and said yes, Lydia did the same as well.

Chelsea bought, what she believed to be basics for camping. Lydia on the other hand wasn't used to camping and bought a monstrous load. They met Isaac at the counter. Isaac looked over Chelsea's purchases and nodded in approval. He looked over to Lydia's things, and wondered how she would carry them all.

Isaac left to go change into his new pants and on his return, Lydia had miraculously managed to fit every thing into her bag. Chelsea looked at his new pants, they weren't as dark, or baggy as the previous, and seemed more appropriate for walking long distances.

"Ok, _now_ can we get a move on?" Chelsea asked. It was already past noon and she was getting anxious.

"Yep, I'm ready!" Lydia said putting on her bag. Chelsea took the map from her pocket and read it. "First we travel on route 104 for a while then go through Petalburg Woods-"

"And we hit route 104 again after a few days of traveling through the woods." Isaac said interrupting.

Chelsea folded her map and stuffed it in her pocket.

She began to march away.

"Um, Chelsea?" Lydia said.

"What?!"

"Route 104 is that way." Isaac pointed.

Chelsea blushed furiously and head in the direction Isaac had pointed to.

"I knew _that_!"

Isaac shook his head and followed Chelsea. Lydia giggled at the scene and followed them.

Soon they saw a beach.

"Oo!" Lydia said as she ran to the edge of the cliff overlooking the beach.

"It's so pretty."

"It is pretty, but the woods are over there!" Chelsea said looking at the beautiful ocean view. The hairs on back of her neck stood up. She got that feeling of being watched. Or was it just the ocean's autumn breeze?

"Come you guys." Isaac said pulling them both away from the cliff.

They began to walk along the path. When Chelsea had a feeling they were being followed again. She kept on checking over her shoulder, but saw nothing. The sun was in the western part of the sky. Isaac stopped near the edge of the woods.

"There's no point in going any farther. We'll start again tomorrow in the morning." He said dropping his pack on the ground. Lydia was relived they didn't have to sleep in the woods for tonight.

They set up camp, eventually had everything ready, even a campfire wood ready when it got dark. Lydia was putting up her tent (Isaac and Chelsea wondered how she got a tent to fit in her bag.) When something brush up against her leg. Lydia's heart rate sped up, but when she looked at her leg, there was nothing. She closed her eyes. _Calm down, it was just the wind. _When she opened her eyes she came face to face with a red eyed, purple face rodent.

Chelsea had unrolled her sleeping bag, when she and Isaac heard Lydia scream bloody Mary. They quickly went to her but saw a girl already apologizing to her.

Her hair was dark green, and separated into two long pigtails. She wore a white hat with a red flower on a wide rim, and had a long white dress on, that had a blue ruffle at the bottom. Her magenta eyes were pleading forgiveness.

"I am terribly sorry! My rattata escaped from me, he meant no harm!"

Lydia was breathing very fast and her eye's were on the girls rattata, that rested on her shoulders.

"It's… ok…"

"What happened?" Chelsea asked as she came up behind Lydia.

"We heard a scream." Isaac said standing to the other side of Lydia.

"I am horribly, terribly sorry. My rattata surprised Ms. Crystal."

"Who are you?" Chelsea asked.

The girl smiled.

"I'm sorry, forgive my rudeness. My name is Rosie. But most people have come to call me Rosie of the Rats." She said bowing, rattata jumped off her shoulder. Lydia stiffen as rattata landed in front of her.

"Are you a pokemon trainer?" Chelsea asked eagerly.

"Yes, yes I am." Rosie said.

"Hey, can we have a pokemon battle?"

Rosie smiled,

"Of course, I was training my Pokemon anyhow." She went through her hand purse and took out two pokeballs.

"I do much better with two-on-two battles. Is that alright with you?"

"Yeah, that's perfect. Cause I only got two pokemon."

Rosie smiled again.

"There is a spot right over here."

They walked over to a nice grassy cliff, Isaac stood to the side of the field.

"This is a two-on-two pokemon battle, between Rosie and Chelsea. First one to cause their opponents pokemon to faint is the victor!"

"Come out, Cascoon and Vulpix!" Chelsea shouted, both her pokemon appeared in front of her.

Rosie giggled.

"Darling pokemon! But mine are cuter, Pichu! Sandshrew!"

Isaac felt Lydia tense up even more. He looked at her, she was white as a ghost.

"Something the matter Lydia?" Isaac asked, she shook her head slowly.

Chelsea whipped out her pokedex.

"Sandshrew, the mouse pokemon.

It burrows deep underground in arid locations far from water. It only emerges to hunt for prey."

"Pichu, the tiny mouse pokemon.

It plays with others by touching tails and setting off sparks. This appears to be a test of courage."

"So, ground and electric mice pokemon. Not a bad match up."

"I will allow you the first attack." Rosie said bowing.

"Cascoon use Poison Sting!"

"Sandshrew defense curl! Pichu charm!" Rosie shouted.

Sandshrew curled up in a ball and pichu blew kisses. Cascoon's poison sting didn't seen to do anything.

"Vulpix aim quick attack at sandshrew!"

Vulpix went charging toward sandshrew.

"Sandshrew keep curled up!" Rosie shouted.

Isaac stood up.

"Chelsea, watch Pichu!"

Pichu had gotten within striking rage of cascoon.

"That's right Pichu, thunder shock!" Rosie said.

Pichu hit cascoon with a thunder shock. Vulpix hit sandshrew, but it didn't seem to do a thing. " Pichu, thunder shock cascoon again!"

"Vulpix, get back and protect cascoon."

By the time Vulpix returned to cascoon's side, he had taken damage.

"Vulpix use ember at pichu!" Vulpix tried to use ember, but Pichu was out of range and had returned to sandshrew's side.

"Sandshrew rollout!" Rosie shouted.

Sandshrew was headed toward them.

"Vulpix get behind cascoon! Cascoon harden!" Chelsea shouted.

"Yes, that girl is using her head!" Isaac shouted. He had been watching Chelsea's moves and had so far criticized.

That moved saved Vulpix, but harden took up the last of cascoon's energy.

Isaac jumped up.

"Cascoon is unable to continue!"

Chelsea withdrew cascoon and kept went on with the battle. Rosie smiled.

"Pichu tail whip!"

Vulpix looked at the pathetic attack and sniggered.

"Vulpix!"

Vulpix hadn't seen sandshrew coming and got hit by another rollout.

"Vulpix, pay attention!"

Vulpix stood up and growled at sandshrew. And sandshrew came again.

"Vulpix jump!"

"Pichu thunder shock!"

Vulpix was in the air and got hit by a thunder shock. She landed on the ground tired.

"Ember!" Chelsea shouted. Vulpix couldn't figure who to aim at and finally was hit with overwhelming pain. She fainted.

"Vulpix is unable to battle! Rosie wins!" Isaac shouted. Chelsea ran to vulpix.

"Oh, vulpix." Chelsea squeezed vulpix lightly and returned her to her pokeball.

Isaac stepped next to Chelsea.

"You still have a lot to learn."

Chelsea refused to look at him. She didn't want to show the tears in her eyes.

"What?"

"There is a difference between battling with two pokemon than only battling with one. Both your opponents pokemon were still standing, and you had one left. By telling vulpix to attack, but not to who, gave her a moment to decide for herself. And that moment hesitation was all sandshrew needed to land another hit." He looked down at Chelsea.

Chelsea just stared at his blue shoe laces. Yeah, she knew she had done bad, and maybe Isaac was trying to explain why. But she didn't like to be told she had done bad and that was enough to make her turn Isaacs speech into buzzing noise in her ears.

"Chelsea? Chelsea?"

She looked up and saw Isaac's eyes. Those stupid beautiful amber eyes.

"Chelsea!"

"Huh?"

"Get up, even you shouldn't wail for this long." Isaac said walking away.

Chelsea stood up and blinked her tears away. She shouldn't cry, she had lost fair and square.

Rosie smiled and twist her hair a bit. She walked over to Isaac.

"You seem to know a bit about battling." She said blinking her eyes rapidly.

"Yeah." Isaac said stepping away from her. She stepped closer.

"Would you like to explain more to me? Perhaps over dinner?"

Chelsea got this funny feeling. Was she asking Isaac out? Chelsea was outraged.

"NO!"

Isaac turn to Chelsea and raised an eyebrow. Chelsea blush, had she blurted that out loud?

"I don't think so." Isaac said moving past her.

"Then how about battling with me now?" She said smiling sweetly.

"Fine, Chelsea be the judge."

Rosie skipped back to her spot and did a twirl.

"What if, we make this match, _interesting?_"

Isaac narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

Rosie gave a little giggle.

"What I purpose is that if I win, I get to take you out on a date."

"I accept." Isaac said calmly. "But if I win you will forget about getting a date with me."

"And I accept. Prepare to lose." Rosie said retrieving another two pokeballs from her purse.

Chelsea raised her hands.

"This is a two-on-two pokemon battle, between Rosie and Isaac. First one to make the other's pokemon faint is the winner!" She drew down her hands, "Begin!" And prayed that Isaac wins this battle.

"Let us show him my darlings!" Rosie said throwing the pokeballs in the air.

"Mine!"

"Plusle!"

"Very cute." Isaac said rolling his eyes. "Now watch, a real two-on-two match. And just to be fair, I'll use my first catches in the Hoen region."

He reached in his pockets.

"Taillow! Poochyena!"

Isaac bowed.

"Losers- I mean ladies first." He said with a smirk.

"Flash, Flicker thunder wave!"

"Taillow in the air, Poochyena sand attack!"

"Oh!" Rosie squeaked.

Taillow flew high enough to avoid the sand attack. Plusle and Minun got hit with sand in there eyes.

"Taillow, quick attack! Poochyena, bite!"

Plusle and Minun were trying to get the sand out of their eyes, when they got hit with both attacks.

"Oh! Flash, Flicker, helping hand!" Plusle and Minun did a little dance. "Now quick attack!"

"Poochyena, howl!"

Plusle and Minun were scared, and went running back.

"Taillow, quick attack, Poochyena, tackle!"

Both Flicker and Flash landed in front of Rosie, out cold, she frowned.

"Ooo!" She call them back to her pokeballs.

"That's not fair! You cheated!"

"No I didn't. It was simple beating you, Chelsea's just a bit slow. Lydia could probably beat you if she's any better than Chelsea."

He walked over to Lydia and made her get up.

"Go on Lydia, battle her."

"N-n-no, It's ok." Lydia said looking at the rattata next to Rosie.

"Why won't you battle her? She's definitely not stronger than Briana." Chelsea said walking over.

"B-because all her p-pokemon are rats!" Lydia finally said and hid behind Isaac.

"So?" He said looking over his shoulder at her.

"I may have a teensy fear of mice and rats."

"Why are you frighten of rats? They are adorable!" Rosie said hugging her rattata.

"Come on Lydia, this is perfect! Battle your fears!" Chelsea said pushing her to the field.

"Chelsea." Lydia moaned.

"Go on." Chelsea gave a dirty look to Rosie. "You still have two pokemon left?"

Rosie gave her a quizzical look in response, but not to her question.

"Yeah I do."

"Good luck Lydia." Chelsea said leaving her in the field.

"This is a two-on-two pokemon battle, between Lydia and Rosie. First one to cause the opponents pokemon to faint is the winner." Isaac shouted.

"Take the s-spot light!" Lydia stuttered as rattata jump in front of Rosie.

"Wurmple!"

"Blu!"

"And for my final lovely pokemon!"

"M-M-Marill!"

Lydia went white again.

"Swablu…" Lydia stop, a voice in the back of her head spoke. _You need style_.


	10. Meanwhile with Yulie

"Yulie!"

"I'm ok!" Yulie looked up at the hole she had fallen through. A head was looking down at her.

"You want me to get you back up?"

"No." Yulie stood up and rubbed her back. She had dropped her flashlight, and now was standing in darkness. She plucked a pokeball from her belt.

"Cho!"

A raichu appeared in front of her, at least she hope.

"Cho, use flash."

"Rai! Rai!"

Sparks emitted from her cheeks, a weaken flash attack, just enough to allow light. She looked around and saw Micah being lowered down via vine whip.

Micah had dark bronze colored skin, short raven black hair. He had a large build, and was about a half a head taller than Yulie. His eye were slanted, and were so black, they sometimes flashed blue.

Micah looked up and held out a pokeball.

"Return Bayleaf!" He said.

"Bay!"

Raichu walked farther down the chamber.

"What level of the cave are we on?" Yulie asked looking in the room she had landed in.

"I think you just discover a new room in the Granite Cave." Micah said looking at a map with his flashlight.

Yulie did a little dance.

"Oh yeah, go me. And how many times has the resident of Dewford discover a room?" She said smiling at Micah.

"Shut up, you fell into a bubble of air in the middle of granite stone."

"Rai! Rai!"

Yulie look over to raichu. The room was pretty big, so she had to half jog over to raichu. The closer she got to her, the splashier her steps became.

"I think we are at a very low level of the cave." Micah said as he followed.

The water got to her ankles when she stopped. She looked at raichu half submerge in water, she was now using flash at a very low level as to not electrify the water. Beyond her the granite rock turned blue in several spots. Yulie waded through the water which now reached her knees. She got over to raichu and almost laughed. She turned over to Micah who had followed. This was one of the time his eyes turned navy blue.

"A bubble of air huh?" She shifted her feet a little, "I think the water got through my boots."

"Told you that the black ones sucked." Micah went through his bag and grabbed another pokeball. He held it in his hands.

"And maybe you accidentally came across a gold mine." He said bouncing the ball back and forth between his hands. It was a shade a of dark green, the part where it opened was brown and the bottom, white.

"Thank you." Yulie said placing her hands on her hips. "And we are not selling all of them."

"Fine, fine. Treeko, come out."

Treeko appeared in front of them, and was startled by the depth of the water.

"Treeko, use bullet seed."

Treeko began to shoot at the wall of rock. Some blue stones fell with little plops in the water. Raichu shifted nervously, she wanted to go get them, but didn't want to shock anyone.

Micah waved his flashlight around.

"Cho, you can go get them. We have enough light."

Cho smiled and dove into the water. Yulie took out a small black pouch. Cho remerged with a few stones and placed them in the pouch.

"Keep going treeko, just a few more." Micah told treeko. Cho dove under water again, and Yulie tried to help as well.

The last of the blue stones fell with a light splash. Yulie picked it up.

"That's the last of them." She said examining the wall. She turned around and kiss treeko lightly on the nose. "Great job."

"Tree-ko." He said blushing a bit.

"Yeah nice job, return." Micah said, making him disappear in a flash of red light. He walked over to Yulie who was still holding the stone. He looked in the bag, and whistled.

"That's a pretty nice haul. 60-40?"

"Haha, 50-50 like always." She said holding up the stone to her face.

"That's the runt, I guess you would call it." Micah said, counting the stones in the bag.

"I like it, it's the right size." Yulie bent down to raichu, "What you think?"

Raichu sniffed it, then gave an approving nodded.

"Chu!"

"Then I'm keeping this one." Yulie said, slipping it into her jacket pocket.

"Project Stone?" Micah asked

"Yep." Yulie said returning Raichu to her pokeball.

"Will I ever know what "Project Stone" is?" He said, starting wading back out of the water.

"Someday- shit!" Micah heard a splash behind him, he closed his eyes and turned around. Yulie was lifting herself out of the foot deep water. Micah walked over and helped her up.

"You didn't drop any of the stones did you?"

"Oh, no. Don't worry 'bout me, I'm fine." Yulie said sarcastically, wringing her hair. She had been wearing rubber black boots, her bermuda length shorts were soaked an even darker blue than they were, her matching navy blue jean jacket, and red tank top were soaked.

"I kid, you know me." He bent down, "Found your flashlight."

"Thanks," Yulie said taking it back. "Wait, this isn't mine…" Her flashlight was a yellow. This one was a silver and black.

"No, I believe that is mine." A cool female voice spoke.

Micah and Yulie snapped there heads toward the entrance.

"So you followed me all the way from Sinnoh?" Yulie said smirking.

"Yulie…" Micah said giving her a sideways glance.

"Only because you have something of mine. Actually a few things of mine."

"Were they really yours?" She asked innocently.

Micah reached into a side pocket of his backpack with one hand and moved the flashlight with the other. A woman holding a yellow flashlight appeared in the ray of light. She had waist length blue hair, her eyes were a lime green. She was wearing a gray dress, the straps hung off her shoulders, giving it an elegant look. Underneath it she was wearing a tight back turtle neck, long sleeve. The dress that barely covered her crotch, black panty hoes emerged and covered her entire leg. She had sleek gray boots that reached all the way to her knee. Around her left leg there were three silver bands around her thigh. They were an opaque silver color, and there reason for being were unknown.

"Team Galactic does not like being stolen from."

Yulie took on a mocking baby voice.

"Team Galactic can't handle a little ity bity fifteen year old?"

"I will say this once, where is she?"

"Who?" Yulie asked.

"I do not like playing games."

Yulie frowned.

"Really, cause I _love _playing games."

"I shall give you one more chance. Return Fire19 and the plans you stole."

"Vulpix is not an experiment, and no, I think I'll keep everything." Yulie said, dropping the mock in her voice. Micah enlarged a pokeball behind his back.

"Then I shall take her by force." She took out a black and silver pokeball.

"Bronzong!"

"Bring it." Yulie said enlarging two pokeballs. "Are you really that eager to see Charm and Cody again?"

"Two against one, that's not fair."

"When have you ever played fair Neptune?"

Neptune laughed softly,

"Yulie, you would make an excellent agent, return Fire 19 and I assure you, I will recommend you to the boss."

Yulie smiled and minimized her pokeballs.

"Even if I wanted to I couldn't, vulpix isn't with me." She unclipped her belt and held it up. All the pokeballs were her custom design. Black on top, white on bottom and red where the part was. "And never would I join Team Galactic."

"Where is Fire 19!?" Neptune screeched.

"Gave her away." Yulie said clicking her belt on.

"Fuck you." She whisper. "Bronzong attack!"

"Alakazam, teleport!" Micah shouted.

They disappeared, leaving Neptune alone in the cave. They reappeared in front of the Dewford Pokemon Center. Micah turned to her and looked at her seriously.

"You pissed some people off?"

Yulie smiled.

"Maybe some." Yulie said sincerely

"You gonna go missing for a while?"

"Not missing, just gonna have to keep moving." She sighed. "Guess I'm not going to Sinnoh."

"How do you get into so much trouble?"

"Hey, trouble finds me."

"Your moms going to be worried."

"I won't tell her. I'll tell her I want to wait for Briana to finish the Grand Festival. "

" And I guess I'm coming with you"

"I'll call you too- What?"

"You are going to get serious trouble one of these days." He muttered walking toward his neighborhood.

"I think those days are here." Yulie said chasing after him. "You don't have to come with me."

"Yes, I do." He returned Alakazam to his pokeball.

"You didn't do anything to them."

"Actually, I just helped the 'thief' they're after, get away. What did you take?" Yulie smiled and took the small stone out of her pocket.

"Project Stone?"

"Project Stone."

Micah shook his head.

"How do you manage to get in so much trouble?"

About an fifteen minutes later Micah was packed and ready.

"What pokemon you brining?"

"Blastoise, bayleaf, treeko, mantine, noespass, and the new one."

Yulie smiled.

"Ok, let me go switch off pokemon."

"Your getting the newbie pokemon aren't you?" Micah said looking over her shoulder.

"Yeah, your pokemon are strong. And I'm keeping Charm, Cho and Eevee so we should be ok."

Micah shook his head.

"Got'em, Flames, Bubbles, Bonzi, Cho, Charm and Eevee." Yulie said clipping her belt to her waist. "Could I get a ride on your mantine?"

"Yeah, It's not like your gonna swim all the way to Petalburg City,"

"Not the city, just the beach. I'm gonna check up on Chelsea, she should be heading to Rustboro City."

Micah's eyes widened.

"You didn't…"

"What?"

"Did you give me a stolen pokemon too then?"

Yulie walked out of the house, Micah followed.

"And what about Briana, is she carrying a stolen pokemon too?" Micah shouted as he followed Yulie. Yulie stopped and turned around.

"Look, I would have returned them to there original owners. But I think they were hatched from eggs under Galactic's supervision. They were using them as experiments Micah!" Yulie began walking toward the beach again. "They aren't that mad that I took gibble and buneary. They want Fire 19. One of the main six they need." Yulie stopped when the beach was in view. "I couldn't save the others. Do you wanna know why her name was Fire 19?" Yulie said, trying to control her voice.

Micah heard the lump in her throat.

"Why?" He asked not sure he wanted to know.

"Out of twenty eggs, she was one of five that hatched." Yulie began tearing up. "And out of those five they picked the three strongest. They killed the weaker babies. They were going to kill gibble and buneary just because they were weaker."

Yulie fell to her knees and began sobbing.

"Vulpix was strong, she is one of the ones they need."

Micah came up to her and hugged her.

"Am I a bad person? I stole, battled unfairly…" The rest was lost in tears.

"You're a good person, your just forced to do 'bad' things."

Yulie stood up and wiped her tears.

"Weak…" She whispered.

"Tears are not a sign of weakness!" Micah shouted at her. "You love pokemon! And you feel their pain, and that's what makes you a good person." He hugged her. "That's what makes you a great person." He whispered. Yulie smiled.

"Thanks."

Micah let go of her and smirked.

"Well come on, we gotta go catch up to Chelsea." He opened his bag and took out a pair of black commando boots.

"Oh, Micah?"

"You are horrible when it come to shoes, so I took the liberty of buying you some everything proof boots."

Yulie hugged him again.

"Oh, Thank You!" She took the boots and stared at them. They had silver buckles, black laces, they were really top of the line stuff.

"How much did they cost?" Yulie ask breathlessly.

"Just put them on." Micah said retrieving two pokeballs.

Yulie took off her the crappy boots, that didn't look like they would last much longer anyway. When she had finally got them on, Micah was already in waist deep water. In front of him was a Blastoise and a mantine. Yulie waded over to him and got on top of the nice big healthy mantine. Blatoise floated on his stomach as Micah positioned himself on Blastoise shell. They both looked toward the sea. Micah smiled.

"It's gonna be a long ride."

"Then I think it's time you found out what Project Stone is."


	11. Lydia the Chef

The sun was now setting, it painted the sky vomit pink. Lydia stood in the field with wurmple and Swablu in front of her. Rosie was on the side that became a cliff. The wind blew slightly, both Lydia's and Rosie's hair tugged toward the ocean. The grass bowed to the sun sinking beneath the waves. Rosie's rattata and maril stood in front of her waiting for the battle to begin. Lydia looked behind Rosie toward the ocean. Yep, the sky was vomit pink. She looked at marill and tried not to concentrate on the fact that it was a mouse. She paid attention to the fur. It was a smooth blue, it shimmered giving it a wet look. Lydia took a deep breathe. She needed to concentrate on battling. Correction, battling with style.

"Swablu, do a little flip in the air then hit marill with a peck!" Lydia said.

Swablu obeyed and cautiously did a flip before landing a peck.

"See, Lydia is using her brain." Isaac said as Swablu pecked at marill.

"What?" Chelsea asked, watching Swablu dodging a quick attack from rattata.

"Marill is a water type, flying type attacks give extra damage."

"Beautiful, surround yourself in string shot!"

Wurmple cover the ground around her in string shot. It was like a little moat, with Beautiful in the middle.

Chelsea thought. 

"Beautiful, use poison sting on rattata!"

Chelsea watched wurmple hit rattata square on the face. Rattata didn't look so good afterwards.

"What is wrong with my rattata?" Rosie shouted as rattata looked sick.

"It's poisoned. Poison sting sometimes does that!" Isaac shouted.

"Rattata try using Hyper Fang!" Rosie yelled weakly. Rattata charged feebly but got stuck in the "moat" of goop.

"Swablu, do that flip again and hit marill with another peck! Beautiful another poison sting to rattata!"

Both hit there targets.

"Rattata is unable to battle." Isaac shout as Rosie returned rattata to her side.

Now it was a two on one pokemon battle, and it was in Lydia's favor.

"Yes, good job Beautiful!" She shouted, but wurmple wasn't cheering, she was glowing. Lydia stood there wide eyed, half from shock, and half from excitement. When Beautiful stopped glowing, she smiled.

"Marill use water gun on Beautiful!"

Beautiful was hit with a stream of water.

"Swablu hit Marill with your strongest peck!"

Isaac stood up smiling.

"Marill is unable to continue, Lydia is the winner!"

Lydia smiled furiously, she ran to Beautiful and lifted her up. Swablu landed on her head.

"We did it! You guys were wonderful. And your flips," Lydia said addressing Swablu, "Were excellent."

Rosie smiled sadly and scoop up rattata. She went over to Lydia and congratulated her. Lydia looked at the fainted pokemon in her arms and felt kinda sorry. Rosie began to walk away with out bothering to look at Isaac or Chelsea. She threw a pokeball in the air and began to climb on the Taurus.

"Hey!" Chelsea shouted. Rosie looked at her.

"What?"

"How is it you have seven pokemon?"

Rosie smiled.

"Rattata doesn't have a pokeball, and Taurus is just the way I get around." And with that Taurus rode off.

"She's…"

"Weird." Lydia finished for Chelsea.

Lydia turned around to them and smiled.

"I'm going to make you guys dinner!" She said brightly.

Lydia skipped the whole way back to camp. She took out a cook book and pick a recipe. She looked at the wood.

"Chelsea, could you get vulpix to start a fire?"

Chelsea was about to call out vulpix when Isaac stopped her.

"No, your pokemon needs to rest."

Before they could do anything, vulpix came out of her pokeball. Weakly she lit the fire. Isaac looked stunned and turned around and muttered some thing about vulpix's big ego. Vulpix glared at Isaac, Chelsea fed her a berry and let her sleep in her sleeping bag.

Isaac went and sat on the floor and leaning back on his hands. It occurred to Chelsea how little she knew about Isaac. She walked over to him, she didn't know what to say. So she said what came to her mind.

"Why weren't your shoes burned?"

"What?"

Chelsea thought. 

"When vulpix, um, yeah. Why are your shoes not a puddle of rubber." She asked sitting down next to him.

"Oh. Because I learned the hard way not to piss off a fire pokemon."

"So you knew vulpix was going to attack you." Chelsea smirked.

"No. I just got tired of buying knew shoes all the time, so I got fire proof ones."

"Oh." Chelsea stared at the rim of yellow light on the water.

"Isaac,"

"Yeah."

"How old are you?"

"I'll be 14 in March."

"That's five months away."

"So?"

"Whatever, so your thirteen?"

"Yeah."

"Where are you from?"

"Goldenrod City."

"Where?" Chelsea hadn't ever heard of a city called that.

"I'm from Johto."

"Wow, is it different from Hoen?"

"Well different cities, and people. And definitely different pokemon." Isaac looked at her. "You're a rookie trainer aren't you?"

Chelsea sighed.

"I'm that bad?"

"Yeah. But don't worry you'll get better. I hope, for your sake."

Isaac wrinkled his nose, a strange smell was floating toward them.

"You a pokemon trainer?" Chelsea asked.

"Yeah, but I've taken up an interest in-"

"Foods Done!" Lydia called to them.

"Yay." Chelsea said standing up.

Isaac followed her. Lydia had three bowls set up on a stump.

"Dig in!" Lydia said smiling.

Chelsea looked at the bowls of food, at least she thought it was food.

"Lydia, what are we eating?" Isaac said staring down at the bowl.

Lydia smiled brightly.

"I made soup! Go on dig in!" She grabbed a bowl, took a spoonful, paused, then continued eating.

Chelsea picked up the bowl and Isaac did the same. They both took a spoonful. They tried to hide there emotions best they could. Isaac looked at Chelsea, they knew they were both thinking the same thing. The water was too salty, and the lumps, well, they didn't want to know what they were.

"So how do you guys like it?" Lydia said, then ate another spoonful of the soup.

"It's, wow…" Isaac couldn't find words. Not knowing how to say he didn't like it, he shoved another spoon full and forced a smile.

Lydia grinned and turned to Chelsea.

"And you?"

"It's different." Chelsea said smiling weakly.

Isaac and Chelsea somehow finished the bowl of who-knows-what. As soon as Lydia went in her tent, Isaac lean over to Chelsea and whispered.

"Is her taste buds dead? How did she eat the whole thing?"

"I don't know. Hey, do you have a water pokemon?" Chelsea added, she made sure Lydia was still inside the tent.

"No, is she gonna cook for us all the time?"

"I don't know." Chelsea grunted trying to open a bottle of water. Isaac took it from her and open it. "Maybe, it was just a bad recipe. Let's see how breakfast goes." Chelsea muttered rinsing the bowls out.

Lydia poked her head out of the tent.

"Chelsea, you sure you don't wanna sleep in here. There is more than enough room."

"It's ok Lydia," She shouted back. "I wanna sleep under the stars."

"Fine. Good night." Lydia zipped the tent closed and turned off the flash light she had on.

Isaac walked over to his sleeping bag and began to take off his shirt.

"What are you doing?" Chelsea hissed.

"I sleep with out a shirt." He said simply. Chelsea watched as Isaac sat on his sleeping bag. He had muscles, they weren't huge, and you won't have guess he had them because of the big baggy shirt he had on. Chelsea quickly busied herself by going through her bag to extract her night gown. She felt the heat creep across her cheeks. Good thing they had extinguished the fire.

"I'm going to change, behind the tent." She said, walking toward the tent. "Don't peek!" She shouted from behind the tent.

"Don't worry, I won't!" He shouted back lazily. He leaned back and looked at the stars. He heard growling next to his head. He turned to see vulpix glaring. He hadn't realized how close their sleeping bags had been.

"I didn't do any thing." Isaac said sitting up. Vulpix groomed her tail.

"Are you still mad at me for that? I healed it didn't I?" Vulpix continued to groom herself.

"The way to a pokemon's heart." Isaac muttered, reaching into his pocket. "Is through their stomach." He pulled out a small silver canister. He shook it, Vulpix perked up her ears, but determinedly kept grooming herself. Isaac opened the container and shook out some dry pokemon food into his hand. Vulpix smelled it and stared at the food in his hand.

"Come on you know you want it." Isaac said moving his hand closer toward her. Vulpix stood up and walked over to his hand. She sniffed it and took a pellet in her mouth.

"I think you'll like it. It's made especially for fire types." Vulpix mewed happily and ate the rest of the food in his hand.

"Let me see your tail." Isaac said. Vulpix turned around and showed him her tail.

"This healed really fast-" Isaac saw the thin lines of scars on her back legs.

"How did you get those?" Isaac asked, but vulpix was prodding the canister with her nose and ignored the questioned.

"Fine a few more, but that's it." Isaac said taking the canister and opening it.

"A few more what?" Chelsea said popping up from behind the tent.

Isaac looked at her. He realized how small and fragile Chelsea was. Her shoulder length hair was let down, it wasn't straight, it waved slightly. Her frame was a small, slight hour glass figure, and even though she was shorter than him, she had long legs.

Vulpix poked his hand, wanting more poke food.

Isaac shook himself mentally and poured some food in his hand. Vulpix ate it quickly. He returned the canister to his pocket.

"What are you feeding her?" Chelsea said slipping into her sleeping bag.

"Food."

"Better not be poison."

"Yeah, I feed my pokemon poison." Isaac sarcastically said turning his back to her. Vulpix trotted over to Chelsea and curled up next to her.

"Chelsea, where did Vulpix get those marks?"

"The ones on her legs?"

"Yeah."

"She had them when Yulie gave her to me. She says Vulpix was abandoned at a pokemon center." Chelsea said, curiosity crept over her. Where did vulpix get those scars? What had happened to her?

"Oh." He said quietly.

"Good Night." Chelsea said.

"Night."


	12. One Shiny Red Eye

It had taken almost half a day to reach route 104. Yulie stepped on to the beach and sat down. She got a nice layer of wet sand on her, but she wanted to enjoy the sunset. After thanking them, Micah returned both pokemon to their pokeballs and walked next to Yulie.

"Come on get up." He said holding out his hand.

"What if I don't wanna?" She said continuing to stare at the ocean.

"You sat on the back of a mantine all day, _and_ almost drown."

"I was asleep!"

"No wonder you didn't swim!" He said sarcastically.

"I woke up." Yulie muttered. She watched as the sun sank three fourths beneath the waves. She stood up and went to her belt, she took a pokeball, enlarging it in the processes.

"I need to see Dr. Tintokrul real quick."

"The geologist?"

"And head assistant at Professor Birch's lab."

"I don't think Charm can carry both of us." Micah said, eyeing the pokeball nervously.

"Maybe, maybe not." Yulie said and released Charm.

A giant winged lizard appeared in front of them. It had orange pebbled skin. It's grainy skin had a warm glow in the fading light. Its wings had a thin membrane of skin stretched onto the frame, a healthy color of blue. Where a normally soft white underbelly was, a yellow mass, indicated this pokemon was experienced, well trained and no longer had that weak point. It's fangs and claws were the whitest and sharpest Micah had ever seen, and finally the flame on it's tail was a brilliant show of red, orange and yellow flames.

Before them stood Charm, Yulie's once little charmander.

"Charm, I need you to fly me to Littleroot town real quick." Yulie said hugging Charm around the neck.

"Your not leaving me here!" Micah shouted.

"Well, I suppose," Yulie looked up at Charm. "If it's not too much weight, you could ride on his back, and Charm could carry me in his arms." Yulie stepped back and allowed Charm to answer.

Micah stood still. He had never confessed it but he was slightly terrified of Charm. For two very good reasons, one this Charizard didn't like him, and two, this humongous lizard could kill him anytime he wanted, if Yulie ever left them alone.

Charm glared at Micah and snapped its fangs at him, and shook his.

Yulie sighed.

"See Micah, I _told _you Charm wasn't strong enough to carry both of us."

Charm looked at Yulie, he stepped back and started flapping his wings, then releasing a blazing hot flamethrower to the sky.

"What you saying Charm? My macho man can carry both of us?" Yulie said in mock surprise. Charm, not hearing the mock in her voice nodded ferociously. Yulie smiled and nuzzled at his neck.

"Thank you."

Micah almost smirked, almost. Charizard loved Yulie too much to ever even want to disappoint her. And up until last year, he was her favorite guy, then Micah showed up. Charizard was perfectly fine with Yulie have girl friends. He didn't like the fact that she had a guy best friend. And now Micah was going to ride on his back.

Micah climbed on his back and watched Charm pick up Yulie.

"What if he drops you?" Micah asked, as Charizard started to flap his wings.

A voice from bellow him answered.

"Charm would never let me fall… I'm not sure about you though."

Charm was soon in the skies and Yulie was looking at the ground from a new angle. She saw nothing out of the ordinary. They only activity she saw was a girl riding a tarus, but nothing more.

* * *

"I'm tired." Chelsea said stopping. 

Isaac gave Chelsea a dirty look, that instant Chelsea regretted saying she was tired.

"Yay, it's 1:29. I'll make lunch!" Lydia said and began to set up a fire.

They had packed up the morning after Lydia's victory, while Lydia had made breakfast. Chelsea and Isaac hoped that breakfast would be better than dinner. They were wrong, the only thing edible in the meal was the burnt toast. Now they had been in the forest for three days, and Chelsea was running out of gum. That had been the only way she had gotten through the meals, and the taste of them out.

Isaac walked over to Chelsea and glared at her. He hadn't grown use to Lydia's cooking, and at times he would disappear all together one meal a day.

"I am going to go and walk for a while, see if I can catch any pokemon." He said loudly and walked away. Vulpix looked at Isaac walk away.

"Ok, be back soon, I won't take long." Lydia shouted.

"Um Lydia." Chelsea said approaching her.

"Yeah."

"Would you mind making sandwiches this time?" Chelsea knew there was no way she could mess up a simple ham and cheese sandwich.

"No, I have to use up everything I bought. Or else it would go to waste."

Chelsea contained a groan.

"Well, let me help."

"No, I want to do this by myself." Lydia said smiling, and went to go get her cook book. "Vulpix would you light the fire for me sweetie?"

When Lydia was done cooking, Isaac had still not returned.

"If we don't eat now the food will get cold." Lydia said sitting down and grabbing a plate. Chelsea wondered if the food would taste better if it was cold. Chelsea silently cursed Isaac for not being there and ate the food quietly. All while they ate, Vulpix stared at a nearby tree. When Chelsea put down her plate of food, Isaac was still not back.

"I wonder if he left for good." Chelsea wondered aloud.

"Don't worry Chelsea, I think he really wants you to buy him a new skateboard." Lydia said while cleaning up. It was only when all the pots and pans were packed up and the food thrown away that Isaac reappeared.

"Oh man, did I miss lunch?" Isaac asked.

Chelsea glared at him.

"Yes you did."

"Don't worry I have some berries you can eat." Lydia said.

"No it's ok, I wasn't that hungry anyway. I'll wait till dinner." Isaac said. And with that they continued through the forest.

"Did you see any pokemon?" Chelsea asked.

"Yeah, some Poochyena and slakoth."

"How did you see slakoth, I thought they lived in the trees."

"I um… Looked up?" Isaac said.

"You catch any?"

"No."

They didn't stop again until it was dark. You couldn't see the moon through the canopy of the trees. And it was with much regret that Chelsea allowed vulpix to light another fire.

Isaac looked at vulpix curiously.

"Foods done!" Lydia shouted.

Isaac sighed and walked over to the plate of food given to him. Rice, and something charred on top. He ate the food silently, to entranced by his thoughts to worry about the sooty taste of the meal. They washed dishes, and set up camp there that night.

"I'm changing!"

"Do we need an update every time you do something!" Isaac shouted back.

Chelsea went behind the tent to her usual changing spot. When she took off her shirt she got goose bumps. She slipped on her night gown, and had a feeling someone was watching her. She turned her head, and saw something move slightly.

She turned around completely and stared at the shrub. She had seen something move, she was sure of it. She took a cautious step toward the bush. She was startled a bit when she saw that the shrub moved again. Chelsea crouched down and stared at the bush.

Isaac stood up and went running when he heard a high pitched scream. Vulpix was right behind him.

"Chelsea!" He said stopping next to the tent.

Chelsea was on the floor panting, with a pokemon crying I front of her. Isaac looked from Chelsea to the pokemon. It had a white body, it looked no bigger than a foot. It seemed to be wearing a green helmet with a pink oval disk stinking out of it. Lydia was the last one to arrive. She had her pokedex out already.

"Ralts, the feeling pokemon.

Ralts has the ability to sense the emotions of people. If its trainer is in a cheerful mood this pokemon grows cheerful and joyous in the same way. The opposite is true as well."

Lydia closed the pokedex and covered her ears, Isaac did so too. _How can something so little make so much damn noise? _He wondered. He went to grab it. For a split second he had his hands around its little body. It stopped crying, then disappeared.

"What the-" It appeared seconds later in Chelsea lap. It lifted up it's head revealing one shiny ruby eye.

"Teleport." Lydia whispered.

Chelsea looked at ralts' teary eye.

"Are you the one who's been following me?" She asked it, her heart beat starting to slow down.

"What do you mean?" Isaac asked, staring at the ralts.

"Since me and Lydia left Oldale, I've felt if something was following me."

"That makes sense, ralts don't live around here." Lydia said, uncovering her ears. "They live on route 102."

They all heard a grumbling noise, ralts blush.

Isaac laughed.

"That little thing is hungry!"

"I don't have pokemon food…" Chelsea said.

"I think I have some berries." Lydia said running back to the tent. When she came back she had a hand full of berries. But ralts wouldn't eat.

"Don't you like berries?" Lydia cooed.

"Those are to big." Isaac said. He went through his pockets, (Chelsea realized how many pockets those pants had) and pulled out a switchblade. He took a berries and cut it into pieces. Chelsea took them and fed them to ralts. She happily ate them.

Vulpix growled, from behind Isaac. He almost jumped, he forgot she was there. Vulpix trotted over to Chelsea and sat down next to her.

"I think vulpix is jealous of ralts." Lydia said.

"Let's hope the green-eyed-monster doesn't come out." Isaac said walking away. Chelsea stood up with ralts in her hands. She shifted ralts into one arm and picked up her clothing with the other. Vulpix held up her hair band in her mouth. Chelsea said thank you, and walked over to her sleeping bag. Ralts had fallen asleep in her arms. Chelsea arranged herself so ralts was on her left, and with much squeezing, vulpix on her right.


	13. Fire beats Grass?

_Hash browns, sausages, bacon, buttermilk pancakes, maple syrup, eggs._ Chelsea smiled in her sleep. She turned over and enjoyed the smells of a good breakfast. _Why can't Lydia cook good? I'll force her to make sandwiches._ Chelsea thought. She slowly drifted into consciousness but her eye remained closed, she wanted to hold on to the smell of that wonderful breakfast as long as she could. It would now be four days since they had entered the woods, and Chelsea was now almost certain they were lost. 

After a while she realized the smell wasn't going away. She open her eyes and prayed Lydia _had_ learned how to cook.

"Look at that, snorlax final woke up." Isaac said.

"Good morning Chelsea."

Chelsea sat up and looked around and saw two more people had appeared over night. The one that had said good morning was now making breakfast.

"Good morning Micah." Chelsea said sleepily.

Chelsea surveyed the scene.

Isaac was standing next to Micah, who was cooking a delicious looking breakfast. Lydia was watching Micah cook as well. Chelsea hurriedly went to her bag, knowing her hair was a mess and began to brush it. She saw Yulie surrounded by food bowls and pokemon. On her lap was vulpix and she was petting her softly on the head.

Then the beautiful scene was ruin by the three rascals.

Chimchar screech happily as he took a berry from piplup and jump up running around the camp.

"Hey! Watch it!" Micah snapped as chimchar ran around the cooking area.

Vulpix jumped off Yulie's lap as she stood up to control her pokemon. Vulpix landed next to turwig. Turwig ate quietly and shook his head.

"Flames! Bad! Bad!." Yulie said as she chased after the two pokemon. The rest of them watched as the three caused an uproar chasing each other. Finally Micah stepped in.

"Bayleef, stop this before they embarrass themselves."

Bayleef appeared as Yulie tackled chimchar. Next thing she knew she was being lifted up in the air. She hugged the little monkey and looked over to her left and saw piplup struggling against the vine whip.

"Now, you guys need to stop behaving so childishly." Micah said folding his arms across his chest.

Chelsea could have laughed. She had never seen her sister look like that. She was suspended a good seven feet in the air, and she had a slight look of shame.

"Now it's time to eat." Micah said turning back to the breakfast, "Bayleef you can set them down."

Yulie felt her self lowered to the ground and as soon as her feet touched the ground she returned her pokemon to their poke balls.

"Why'd you come out to the forest Yulie?" Lydia asked as she munched on a piece of toast.

Yulie smiled.  
"We actually went to Rustburo City first and waited a day."

"But Yulie began to worry about you Chelsea, and you know how impatient she is." Micah interrupted, "So she just got up and came to look for you. I barely had enough time to pack food."

"You didn't have to come out and look for me." Chelsea said frowning a bit. "I can take care of myself."

Yulie looked at Chelsea and opened her mouth to argue. She was about to tell her little sister how rude she was, when Isaac interrupted.

It was an odd scene Lydia has witnessed. Isaac had not removed his eyes from Yulie for the longest time, and now those amber orbs were wide as dinner plates.

"Yulie, Yulianna Carmine!"

Yulie was taken by surprise to hear her full name spoken. She turned around.  
"Yeah, that's my name."

"No, I mean your Yulianna Carmine!"

She raised an eyebrow.  
"Yeah, pretty sure that's my name."

"No, I mean, you were in the top 3..."

"What?" Micah said putting down a fork.

"In the Johto region, I think it was like two years ago. The year before I started my journey, you were in the top 3!"

Yulie began to blush suddenly.  
"It- I, that was a while ago."

"And why was I never informed that you had gotten as far as the top 3?" Micah asked.

"I thought every one knew." Chelsea said plainly before taking a bite of her food. It wasn't all that great, it was third place for crying out loud! Why was Isaac freaking out so bad?

"But you got to the top 3? I knew you were good, but that's awesome!" Lydia said.

"I remember now, the young cocky thirteen ear old, on tv!" Isaac said. "The way you battle was awesome!" He jumped up. "I want to battle you!"

"Right now?" Yulie groaned. "I haven't finished eating."

"Give him the battle, what harm could it do?" Micah said standing up. Truth is, he hadn't seen Yulie battle in a while.

Yulie stood up and played with the poke balls hanging around her waist.  
"Ok, I'll battle you, but hate to break it to you kid, I don't battle the way I use to."

Isaac paid no attention.  
"One on one battle! Micah will be the judge!"

Micah stood up. "One on one battle, you know the rules, Begin!"

"I'm going to use my best friend, my first pokemon!" Isaac shouted.

Chelsea grinned. She was a bit surprised by Isaac's sudden eagerness. He was like a kid in a candy store, and she hadn't seen his first pokemon yet.

"I choose you! Houndour!" He shouted throwing the poke ball in the air.

Yulie smiled. "Oo! I love fire types! And it looks like this bad boy's got experience!" She pluck a poke ball from her waist.

"Yulie..." Micah cautioned.

She looked at him and smile.  
"You know I can't resist!"

"Why don't you use a water type?" Micah was almost begging.

Yulie kept smiling.  
"Now that would be an unfair advantage." She enlarged the poke ball.

Isaac was completely confused. What was this secret conversation going on?

Yulie turned to Isaac.  
"I like this kid, I think he can handle the challenge."

Micah shook his head and looked at Chelsea. Chelsea was suddenly looking around franticly.  
"What's the matter?"

"I can't find ralts."

Chelsea gave up a few seconds later and decided to watch the battle.

"Turtwig!" Yulie shouted.

Everyone's mouth fell open, everyone's besides Micah.

"What is she doing? That's crealy giving Isaac and advantage!" Lydia said.

"And that's one of her newly caught pokemon!" Chelsea said. This isn't the way her sister battled. At least not the way she remembered. She always took every advantage she could and played by the book, what was she doing?"

Isaac looked at the pokemon and frowned.

"Come on, I thought you were going to give me a challenge!"

Micah shook his head. Ever since he met Yulie, her battling style had slowly been changing. He had the privlage to say, he was the last one to battle her while she was still new. Now she was more experienced, and had her own unique style.

Yulie shook her head.

"Kid, I am giving you a challenge. Just battle me with your all."

_What is she doing_? Chelsea thought. She couldn't fathom what her idiotic sister was thinking. When was the last time she had seen her battle? Chelsea couldn't recall.

Isaac looked at turtwig cautiously.

"Houndour, ember."

Houndour looked open his mouth to attack but something to both trainer and pokemon by surprise.

"On his back."

Three words she had spoken, and Chelsea realized who had won this battle.

Turtwig was on houndours back quicker than anyone could realize it.

"How the hell did he move that fast?" Isaac said, mouth gaping.

Yulie scowled.

"I don't appreciate the kind of language." She turn to her pokemon. "Leech."

Turtwig was right on houndour, no way the attack could miss, and it didn't.

Leech seed had planted it's self on houndour, and it's energy draining effect were evident.

"Still want to battle?" Yulie asked as she watched houndour sink to it's front legs.

Chelsea was in shock. Turtwig, such speed, and the leech seed! How did one attack have that much power to drive a pokemon to it's knees?

"Houndour, get up." Isaac said emotionless.

"Kid, face it you lost." Yulie said, the houndour was about to faint. Turtwig's leech seed was that strong.

"Houndour!" Isaac was in shock, the battle hadn't even lasted a minute, no way he had lost. "Get up!"

"Turtwig, put houndour out of his misery." Yulie said shaking her head.

Turtwig released a razor leaf, and it hit houndour. The poor dog had lost so much energy, that simple grass attack was enough to knock it out. Yulie smirled triumphantly, and petted turtwig as he went her her side.

"How- but... I- fire beats grass..." Issac knelt down by his fainted pokemon.

Lydia and Chelsea were wide eyed, the battle had ended just as soon as it began.

"Pack up you guys." Yulie said returning turtwig to it's pokeball. "Me and Micah will escort you to Rustburo city. We'll you there and go our way."


End file.
